Break Ins and Forced Entry

In this month’s edition we will be discussing break in’s, or forced entry.

Recently we have attended multiple break in’s around the Torbay area. It’s always an incredibly upsetting scene for any home owner returning to their property to discover they’ve been burgled. It can turn your life upside down in an instant, valuable and sentimental possessions often stolen and unlikely to be recovered, the distress it causes is unimaginable!

How can you prevent would be burglars targeting your home or business?

Think about the location of your home, is it a very secluded area or over looked by other properties? If you live in a secluded area CCTV and motion-sensor lights are very good preventative measures.

There is also your physical home security, are your locks up current standards?

If you have wooden doors most home insurance policies recommend the locks need to meet with BS 3621 specification. This is the criteria set out by the British Standards Institute (BSI) for thief resistant locks. An easy way to tell if your lock meets with the British Standard requirement is to look for the BS kite-mark on the lock or faceplate.

• Automatic deadlocking facility and anti-slip features
• Anti-pick measures in place
• Anti-drill qualities
• Anti-bump
• Minimum of 6 pin or equivalent on other designs/brands
• Larger reinforced latch/bolt
• Armoured cylinder shroud (Brand/model specific)
• Key lockable from inside

• Needs to be a minimum of 5 lever
• Anti-pick measures in place
• Must have a security curtain/bolt thrower
• Anti-drill plates
• Hardened or reinforced bolt
• The bolt should protrude 20mm from lock case when locked
• There must be at least 1000 differs on the specific series of lock
• Must have box section keep