Most of the homeowners who were forced to deal with the unpleasant consequences of a burglary attempt at some point know exactly how stressful and traumatizing such a negative experience could be. Burglary attempts trigger considerable expenses and extensive property damages, and somehow stop all family members affected by this unpleasant event from feeling safe and comfortable in their own environment for a long period of time. Undoubtedly, for most homeowners break-ins are dramatic events. But are they the result of bad luck or the main effect of gross negligence?
A recent 2013 survey, conducted by Nationwide on U.S. homeowners over 18, suggests that simple measures of precaution could easily deter perpetrators. The same source indicates that in most cases, family members are negligent and unwillingly send “open invitations” to burglars looking for easy prey. According to the conclusions of the Nationwide survey, 25% of all respondents have left their front door unlocked at least once in 2013 while being away from home. Moreover, it seems that no less than 35% have left their ground-floor or first floor-window unlocked, while 34% have forgotten to lock their windows located on the second floor and on higher floors. Furthermore, 19% of the respondents have left their side doors unlocked, sending an indirect invitation to perpetrators operating in their area.
The survey also mentions the fact that 1 in 5 peoplewho own a house have no problem leaving their ground-floor windows or doors unlocked when they leave the house to go on an errand. In addition, the same source of information presents this negligent behavior from a different perspective, indicating that 22% of all respondents who frequently forget to lock their doors have “inherited” this bad habit from their parents.
When it comes to implementing effective preventive measures designed to make them feel safe and comfortable at all times, homeowners are still far from being 100% vigilant and eager to make the most of advanced, sophisticated . Only 1% of all respondents own a firearm, 5% count on security staff, 9% rely on a video security system, and 1% put all their hopes in a neighborhood watch program. Almost 60% of all survey participants protect their loved ones and their valuable belongings by investing in doorsreinforced with metal bars, grates, or deadbolts.
The most commonly used theft prevention measure is reinforcing the doors (59%). A smaller portion have a watch dog (35%) or an alarm system (34%). Yet, three in ten (30%) put themselves at risk by hiding a spare key outside their home—which could counteract those preventions. People living in rural communities and those with higher incomes are most likely to hide a spare key outside their homes,” reveals the Nationwide survey.
Even more shocking is the fact that 21% of all the surveyed people have chosen not to invest in the more or less effective solutions listed above and represent ideal potential victims in the eyes of skilled perpetrators.
Tim Eveler
Author & Public Relations – Tim has been working in sales for the home security system industry over twelve years. He’s held positions at large home security companies and in charge of working with the team to create our security system reviews.