Numerous European citizens have already been victims of burglary. Fortunately, burglaries can be prevented, and preventive action is much cheaper than paying for the possible damage that can occur as the result of a burglary. The sixth edition of the EU Focus Day on domestic burglary will be taking place on Wednesday 19 June 2024 under the auspices of the European Crime Prevention Network (EUCPN).
With the prevention campaign, the EUCPN, several European countries, Europol and the European Commission want to step up the fight against this crime by informing citizens on how they can protect their homes. This year's action week is also dedicated to police officers who keep communities safe. This short video shows the most effective preventive measures against burglary that offer the best value for money. The video encourages citizens to take steps to protect their homes. It is also aimed at police officers, who are encouraged to share information about effective burglary prevention measures with their community and empower citizens to protect their homes. Watch this video to see how you can protect your home.
Video: What works to prevent domestic burglaries? There are some simple yet effective measures.
Research clearly shows that burglars can be successfully deterred by improved window and door locks, external lights that pop on when their sensors observe movement, or internal lighting on a timer (timer software or app). These measures increase the risk of being caught and/or the effort that would be needed to enter a home successfully. These improved security measures prevented a great deal of crimes and eventually led to a genuine crime drop.
Several EU studies analysed the best preventive measures against domestic burglary. Despite the common belief that CCTV and alarm systems are effective in preventing domestic burglaries, no research has in fact confirmed this popular belief. Outdoor and indoor sensor lights have proven to be the most effective means of protecting a home. Strong door and windows locks that are adequately burglary-proof also ranked high in all the studies.
The most deterring measure the police can take is, of course, police presence.