Greater London Area Home to More than 50,000 Property Break-ins Each Year

It's no secret that the Greater London area has its fair share of bad neighbourhoods and shady spots that we all strive to stay away from as much as possible. But what can you do when the crime comes to your home? According to an interactive crime map published by engineering consultancy agency Arup, there were more than 55,000 property break-ins in the Greater London area between 2014-2015. Similar statistics can be cited year after year, and sadly many of the break-ins could be avoided with a few simple preventative measures.

Homes and Offices in Urban Areas More Susceptible

Based on the firm's research, it appears that the most crime-affected areas are the most densely populated. The City of London takes the cake, with about 170 commercial and residential break-ins per square kilometre happening within the borough's limits each year. The boroughs of Islington, Camden, Hackney, and Westminster complete the top 5 most crime-affected areas. A major reason for the high number of break-ins in these regions is the presence of closely packed office buildings and apartments where locks are often left unchanged for long periods of time. Older locks and security systems are easier for thieves to circumvent, and the sheer volume of opportunity in the city makes for a burglar's playground.  Contacting a company like metrolocks.co.uk could alleviate a lot of these problems.

Thieves Look for an Easy Way In

Of course, criminals usually prefer not to attract attention by smashing or climbing into windows. Lock picking is a major problem in the UK, as many of the locks and doors are outdated and are therefore easier to get around than the newer lock technology on the market. Unfortunately, only about 50% of UK residents actually change their locks when moving house. Homeowners and renters alike need to ask themselves: if you don't change the locks on your home, how can you be sure that you're the only person with a set of working keys?

Preventative Steps to Take

Luckily, you don't necessarily need a state-of-the-art security system and a team of private guards to minimise the chances of having your home broken into. As mentioned, thieves look for easy opportunities, so all you really have to do is make it challenging for them to break-in. Options include installing a cheap motion sensor alarm that will sound off when someone gets too close to your door or windows, getting a guard dog, changing your door locks, and ensuring that your window locks are in proper working order. People who have valuable belongings to protect might even want to consider installing shatter-resistant window film to burglar-proof their windows.

Most people who are victimised by a burglary don't realise how huge of problem it really is until it happens to them. By sharing stats and security tips with fellow Londoners we can help spread awareness about the prevalence of the issue and start taking steps to reduce this embarrassing crime stat in the near future.