1) Making
targets more resistant to attack
Fitting or upgrading window and door locks, installing
an alarm system, putting in stronger doors or more secure
windows or improving the fencing around a home. Keeping
a home well maintained is vital.
2) Removal of vulnerable items or property
Making sure that property a thief might be interested
in isn’t visible from outside the home. For example,
TV's, hi-fi's or computers away from windows visible
from the street.
3) Material capable of being used to help commit
a crime is not accessible
Removing or locking up garden tools, ladders, dustbins
or anything else which might help a theif climb, or
break, into a home.
4) Reducing the gain
Consider property marking items with the house number
and postcode in order to make them easy to identify
and therefore less valuable to a theif. There should
be signs at the front and rear of the home to warn that
all property is marked and identifiable.
5) Restricting access to sites, and buildings
This is more applicable to commercial properties but
it could also apply, for example, to a block of flats.
Entry systems would be the simplest way to control access,
encourage residents to close doors and refuse entry
to any suspicious person.
6) Making sure theives would be visible
Natural surveillance - Making the home
more visible to other residents in the community. This
might include pruning or removing shrubbery, trees,
large bushes etc. It could be installing or improving
lighting outside the home.
Formal surveillance - In domestic security
this would mainly involve small-scale CCTV systems.
Informal surveillance - Involves the whole
community where people can be encouraged to be vigilant.
Procedures should be put in place to tell residents
what to do if they see anything suspicious.
7) Changing the environment of a building to reduce
opportunities for committing crime
For example, putting seating near houses encourages
people to sit and socialise increasing the informal
surveillance. Keeping planting to a minimum or using
low shrubs increases natural surveillance.
8) The introduction of legislation, by-laws and
codes of conduct
It is important that if there is a Neighbourhood Watch
or Good Neighbour Scheme operating there are clear signs
making people aware of it.
9) Slowing down theives
The chance of detection is a good deterrent. The longer
it takes to commit an offence the more vulnerable the
theif feels. This covers a variety of aspects, some
of which have already been covered in the other principles.
Combining several preventive methods can create an effective
deterent.
10) Diverting the potential offenders from committing
crime
This can be accomplished using educational programmes,
drug action teams, youth action teams, youth groups
and organisations, schools programmes and providing
training and work experience.
Deadlock / mortice deadlock
A lock in which the bolt can only be moved outwards
and inwards by a key.
Differs
The number of keys required before you get a repetition
of the one for a particular lock. So the more differs,
the more keys the burglar has to carry.
Door chain
A simple and effective device allowing the door to be
opened a few inches whilst a caller’s identity
is verified. It must be stressed that it is not an extra
lock and should only be engaged when there is someone
at the door.
Door viewer
An optical device designed to be installed at eye level,
enabling the occupier to identify callers before opening
the door. It allows a wide angle of vision and is usually
quite simple to install, needing just one hole drilled
in the door.
Five lever mortice deadlock
A deadlock that is operated
by five levers. The strongest type of 5 lever mortice
lock is rated to British Standard 3621 which has over
1000 differs.
Hinge bolts
Fixed bolts fitted to the edge of the hinge side of
a door. When the door closes they engage into holes
morticed into the doorframe. An inexpensive but effective
way of protecting outward opening doors with the hinges
exposed. They prevent the door from being removed from
the hinge side if the hinges are attacked. Usually one
bolt per hinge is recommended.
Mortice bolts / security bolts / rack bolts
These are round bolts morticed into the edge of the
door. The bolts are operated by keys with a serrated
edge. They are also suitable for doors that are too
thin to hold a mortice lock and will in such cases supplement
a rim deadlock. Mortice bolts always operate from the
inside face of doors and therefore cannot be locked
outside when leaving the property.
Neighbourhood Watch
Also called Home Watch and Community Watch, it is a
partnership between Police and public aimed at preventing
crime in a residential area.
Passive infra red detectors
These are sensors designed to detect rapid thermal or
heat changes such as an intruder entering a room. Passive
infra red detectors receive but do not transmit energy.
Patio door locks
Secure the sliding section to its frame. Various makes
and types on the market suit all types of doors.
Perimeter protection (intruder alarms)
A term for any form of detection device that operates
at the time of or before the entry of an intruder into
a protected area i.e. a sensor located on the window
frame of a home.
Rim deadlock
It is more secure than the rim
night latch. In this lock the spring latch bolt
can be converted into a deadbolt. The deadlocking facility
prevents opening from the outside. It should be recommended
for doors that are too thin to hold a mortice
deadlock.
Rim night latch
A lock fitted to the inside face of the door with a
spring operated latchbolt. The bolt operates automatically
when the door is slammed. A key on the outside and a
knob on the inside usually operate the bolt. A common
and popular device which can be found on most wooden
front doors. It has very little security value when
situated next to glass and can be overcome by a variety
of methods.
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