“Start locking up and lighting up.”
An Garda Síochána has issued a new burglary warning as part of its Summertime Safety campaign, urging home owners to keep doors and windows locked during the summer months.
According to statistics released by the Gardaí on Friday, one in four burglary cases is the result of a burglar entering through an open door or window.
Gardaí have asked people to store keys safely away from letter boxes and windows, as well as keeping lights on to make the home look occupied when it isn’t.
They have also encouraged home owners to keep a record of any valuables that might be present in the house, and to not keep large amounts of money or jewellery in the home, with approximately €3.5 million being taken.
Furthermore, it is estimated that €1.8 million worth of household and recreational equipment is targeted during the summertime, and so Gardaí suggest purchasing specialist chains and locks to secure specific items.
A household property register can be found on the official Garda website.
“We’re hoping to improve people’s home security and personal security,” said a Garda spokesperson.
“Right now, we’re concentrating on home security, even though we would see 6% less burglaries in summertime than wintertime, what we do see is that in one in four cases, the burglar simply walks through an open door or climbs through an open window.
“That’s something we can change. We can start locking up and lighting up.”
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