Is your home a target for winter burglaries? Gardaí share tips on safeguarding your property

WITH the arrival of darker evenings, concerns about home burglaries are on the rise.

As the days grow shorter, burglaries tend to surge by a notable 25%, according to Garda statistics. Criminals, keen on avoiding capture, often target empty homes. The cover of winter darkness allows them to easily identify unoccupied properties by assessing whether lights are on or not.

Sergeant Ber Leetch, Crime Prevention Officer at Henry Street Garda Station, Limerick, shared some crucial advice for homeowners to deter potential burglars during these dark evenings. "Your home must look like somebody is inside," she emphasised.

To achieve this, she recommended using light timers and a television simulator, which effectively creates the illusion that someone is inside. The television simulator can be plugged into a timer, emitting a convincing light from the outside, giving the impression that someone is watching TV.

Over the past three winters, it has been found that 42% of burglars entered through front doors or windows, while 44% used rear entry points, and 6% opted for side doors or windows.

Notably, the rear of the house is the preferred entry point for burglars, as it offers more cover from prying eyes. An alarming trend has emerged wherein burglars forcibly pull doors, making them inoperable from the outside. This occurs because homeowners fail to lock the door properly with the key, leaving them vulnerable to break-ins.

Sergeant Leetch's recommendation is clear: "Check if you have a door of this type and double lock your doors."

Sergeant Leetch also addressed the issue of vacant homes, which can be particularly attractive to burglars. In cases where there is electricity available and the property can be illuminated, homeowners are advised to ensure that nothing of value is left in the vacant house.

She urged residents to engage their neighbors in this regard, requesting them to park their cars at the property and keep a vigilant eye on any suspicious or unusual activities in the neighborhood.

Neighbors should gather as much identifying information as possible while ensuring they don't put themselves in harm's way. Any details regarding suspicious activities should be promptly reported to the local Garda station.