According to Home Office research, people aged 60 and over are less

likely to become victims of crime than those in other age groups. You

can lower the risk of attack or burglary further by following simple

preventative steps. Making yourself safer does not mean changing your

whole lifestyle or becoming trapped in your own home.

 

Most burglars are opportunists and they will look for unlocked doors or

opened windows to get in. You can reduce the risk of burglary and

make yourself feel safer by taking steps to make your home secure:

 

•  Always lock outside doors and close the windows even if you are just going out for a short time. But when you lock up while you are inside (for example at night), keep your keys nearby so that you can get out easily in case of an emergency;

•  Draw the curtains in the evening, when the room is lit;

 

•  Don't give keys to people you do not know well such as workmen - they can make copies - but keep a spare set with a person you trust;

 

•  Change the locks if you think somebody else might have another copy of your keys, for example a previous tenant;

•  Do not leave your spare keys in obvious places such as under a flower pot or doormat or hanging inside the letterbox;

 

•  Look through the ‘spy hole' and put the door chain on before you open the door;

•  Only take the chain off and admit the caller if you are sure about their identity and purpose of their visit;

 

•  Do not keep the chain on all the time; it will prevent someone with a door key entering - for example a home help or the emergency services;

 

•  Keep your garden tools and ladders locked away;

•  Keep valuable items out of sight;

•  If you think you have been broken into, do not go inside as the burglar might still be inside. Call the police.