Continue reading »]]> Burglary Prevention For Going On Holiday

Have you taken adequate safety precautions to secure your home and contents stay safe while your away on holidays -Follow our tips below to give yourself peace of mind, and a better chance of enjoying your time away

• Cancel milk, newspapers and mail deliveries.
• Arrange for a neighbour, relative/friend to collect your mail or use MailMinder from An Post.
• Arrange to have the lawn mowed, particularly when absent for long periods in the summer.
• Do not unwittingly advertise your travel arrangements to others, eg.inform your friends on facebook when your are going away.
• Do inform family/friends of your travel arrangements so they will know that you did arrive at your destination and you can be contacted in case of an emergency.
• The period just prior to your holiday is a good time to make a list of all the valuable items in your home including jewellery, photograph the items and take note of the serial numbers and keep both in a safe location.
• Check your house contents insurance is up to date.
• Check bikes, tools, ladders etc are locked safely into the shed.Also check that the wheelie bin is stored away in a safe place.
• Check locks on entrance doors/gates and oil tank.
• Make full use of light timing devices and do not have the curtains drawn during the day.Have the devices set to come on and off at different times to give the impression the house is occupied.
• Check all windows/doors are shut and securely locked before activating your alarm.
• If you have a domestic alarm – inform your monitoring centre of your absence and ensure any nominated key holders will attend promptly if alarm was activated.
• If not a monitored alarm give a neighbour a key to knock off the alarm.
• Leave the radio on when your away to give the impression that the house is occupied.
• If leaving your car at home make sure it is safely locked in the garage, and check that the garage door is locked. If taking the car, invite your neighbour to use your driveway.
• Don’t leave a message on your answer phone that you are away, have a friend check them regularly for you.
• Downstairs in not the only way in, remember to secure extension areas, side and back entrances.

Continue reading »]]> Vehicle Security

Each year, on average in Ireland over 10,000 vehicles are stolen. Most are recovered, albeit damaged in many cases, but some are never recovered. A similar figure applies to theft from vehicles.  Here are some tips to keep your cars/vans safe:-

Parking in Public Areas

• Ensure all windows are closed and all doors are locked.
• Ensure that your alarm/immobiliser is set.
• Do not leave property on view inside your vehicle.
• Do not leave cash, credit/debit cards, cheque books or other valuable items inside your vehicle.
• Do not leave personal documents, driving licence, insurance certificate, utility bills, bank statements etc as this can facilitate identity theft or lead to criminals to your home address.
• Be particularly careful with laptops, mobile phones and other small electronic items as the data they contain may be very attractive to the thief.
• Do not place property under the seat – it is not a secure location and can often be seen, if you must store property place it in the boot but do so at a location other than the area where you intend to park.
• Avoid parking in isolated places and, at night time, park in a well-lit area.
• Consider retracting, where possible, your wing mirrors as flush as possible to the doors to avoid criminal damage.

Parking at Home

The above recommendations equally apply when parking at home. If you have a garage, park your vehicle inside it and keep your garage locked.

Driving

While driving, be alert to your surroundings.

• Keep all doors and windows locked.
• Keep valuables out of sight do not leave briefcases, handbags, coats etc on seats in open view.

Security Devices

Immobilisers and Alarms-

Most modern cars are all fitted with immobilisers and alarms. If you do not have an immobiliser, consider fitting one.

Mechanical Locking Devices -

Various types of  locking devices are available that fit onto and/or around steering wheels, gear sticks, brake/clutch pedals etc. Lockable wheel nuts have proved effective against the theft of wheels, particularly high value alloy wheels. Lockable petrol caps are also available.

Etching -

All glass surfaces – windscreen, rear window, side windows and headlamps – should have your car registration number etched onto them. This can help to deter thieves as it makes it more difficult and costly to sell or off-load the vehicle. It is also a good idea to place a small sticker on windows to indicate that these glass surfaces have been etched.

Keys -

Most modern cars are difficult to steal without keys.

When you leave your car, even for short periods, do not leave keys in the ignition. This applies both in public and private areas including your own driveway, at filling stations, shops etc.

Do not leave car keys in open view on kitchen or hall tables, window sills, counter tops or on wall hooks etc., particularly within reach of the front door.

Do not attach a tag to your key ring which shows your name and address.

Remember – if you inadvertently leave your keys in an unattended vehicle it may compromise your insurance cover.

Satellite Navigation Equipment (Sat Navs)

Sat Navs are becoming very popular and as a result are being targetted by thieves. The following guidelines can help to reduce the risk of your equipment being stolen -

• Avoid leaving portable Sat Navs in your vehicle.
• Take them with you when leaving your car including the support cradle and suction pads.
• Wipe away any suction pad marks left on the dashboard or windscreen.
• Security mark your Sat Nav with your vehicle registration number.
• Do not programme your Sat Nav to indicate your home.

Continue reading »]]> Residential Burglar Prevention

Our tips below will help you keep your home secure -

•  Ensure that doors are locked and windows shut and securely locked. If your windows are externally beaded then you will need to increase the security.
• Have the back door locked when answering the front door to a strange caller, a secure ring attached to your door handle will increase the security in this case.
• A Euro Profile Cylinder is a good investment for entry doors.
• If living in a flat or an apartment never open the main entrance door to strangers.
• Consider fitting the front door with a door viewer /peep hole or chain lock so you can see who is calling.
• Keep keys out of view – don’t leave your door/car keys where they can be seen this is a common mistake. A wire coat hanger opened into a long rod with a hook has proven to reach keys.
• Visable burglar alarms, decoy dummy boxes/cameras, locks and security lighting are excellent deterrents.
• If the entrance to your home is dark consider installing lighting with an infrared detector Most thieves don’t  want to be observed trying to get in a door.
• If you lose your house keys, change the locks immediately.
• Do not leave valuables like your laptop or DVD player where people can see them through the window. Curtains with dark shades should be put in rooms that contain your valuable items.
• Make sure your wheelie bin which makes an ideal climbing frame is stored in a safe place and not in easy reach for a burglar to make use of.
• Don’t leave ladders or tools outside they can be used to assist any potential intruder.
• Having a dog is a major deterrent to burglars. If you don’t have one, you can always give the impression you have – simply place a ‘BEWARE OF DOG’ sign up on your gate/fence.
• Downstairs  in not the only way in – remember to secure extension areas, side and back entrances

Continue reading »]]> Home Security Lighting

It is widely accepted that appropriate lighting  can help to reduce crime and act as an effective deterrent to burglars. Appropriate lighting will help to make your home more visible to neighbours and passers-by; thereby increasing the likelihood of discovering unwanted intruders and trespassers. Lighting also helps to reduce the fear of crime. However, it should also be noted that lighting does have limitations and so should be regarded as an aid to other security features in your home such as good physical security.

Exterior Lighting

The most commonly used forms of exterior lighting are Robotic Security Lights, tungsten halogen floodlights and porch/bulkhead lights. Other types, including garden lights, are also available and suitable.

What type is best for me?

This is often a difficult decision to make. Some people prefer to have the bright light that a floodlight offers; others prefer the more subdued light of a lower wattage lamp. Floodlights tend to be operated with the aid of a movement/infra-red sensor and/or a manual override switch. These are normally pre-set to switch off after a short period. It is generally not acceptable, practical or feasible to keep these lights on continuously: your electricity bill alone would be enormous, not to mention that it would be very environmentally unfriendly and very annoying to your neighbours.

Porch/bulkhead lights, can be fitted with a photo electric sensitive cell which will activate the light at dusk and turn it off at dawn. These lights can be fitted with low wattage bulbs e.g. the energy saving Compact Fluorescent bulbs which are long-lasting and economical to run thereby making them more environmentally friendly. It is important to ensure that, as with floodlights, the light is directed appropriately and that it is well-positioned. These lights can also be easily connected to a timer switch if preferred over a ‘dusk to dawn’ system. If you also have a CCTV system in place, you must ensure that yur lighting system is compatible with your cameras. Site testing, in different light levels, should be carried out to ensure that this is so.

Interior Lighting

At night, in most occupied home lights are switched on and off at irregular intervals in different rooms. The light in the sittingroom may be switched on for hours at a time whereas the light in another room e.g. a hallway or bedroom may only be switched on intermittently as people move in and out of these rooms. In some homes, particularly those with children, the light on the landing is often left permanently on during the night. It  is important therefore, when a home is vacant, that an impression is generated to would-be intruders that the home is in fact occupied. This can easily be achieved by leaving some lights switched on for long periods and others for short random periods. The idea being to try to recreate  the normal living and lighting activities when  the home is occupied. Consider all areas, both front and back, upstairs and downstairs.

There are numerous devices available to achieve this:

• Plug -in mechanical or electrical timers on a wall socket connected to a table or other lamp.
• ‘Dusk to Dawn’ automatic sensors that fit into standard ceiling light sockets.
• Similar timer sensors that fit into ceiling light sockets etc.

To summarise, when installing security lighting, please consider each of the following -

• Avoid the creation of shadows and dark areas.
• Position the light fitting out of reach
• Aim for a uniform light level.
• Direct the light beam appropriately.
• Consider your neighbours.

Continue reading »]]>

Crime on the rise

 Crime On The Rise

Both rural and urban areas are witnessing a big hike in recorded crime.

According to a report published recently in the past 12 months the number of recorded burglaries nationwide has shot up. Crimes have also increased markedly.

According to the latest CSO statistics they found in the third quarter of 2011 there were 6,561 recorded burglary (non-aggravated) offences, an increase of 493 or 8.5% on the same period last year. They also found that in the category of “other thefts and handling stolen property” offences increased by 1,119 (2.7%) to 42,544 in the 12 month period prior to the end of the third quarter of this year.

The report also highlighted the scam into the purchase of mobile phone top-ups using a credit card. It also stated that Eircom PhoneWatch estimated that  €48m worth of goods was taken from households in Ireland in the last 12 months. That equated to an average of €1,870 worth of property per household. 

They also found that unsurprisingly, the most likely time of day for a house burglary was 12pm to 4pm. Thursday was the day homes were most likely to be targeted. Over 20%  of the calls received by the National Crime Victims Helpline last year was related to property crime, most commonly burglary. Being a victim of burglary can leave people feeling violated, vulnerable and afraid, and can destroy their peace of mind and their feeling of safety in their own home visit CrimeVictims Helpline if you just want to talk. The helpline found that callers affected by burglary were also concerned about home security and how to prevent such a crime from happening again.

 Bike thefts have more than doubled since 2008. More that 4,500 bikes were reported as stolen to gardai last year. The situation is so bad that gardai have put a special section on their website advising members of the public on how to avoid having their bike stolen visit www.garda.ie.

Thieves are also targeting another high-price personal device which has even more widespread mass appeal. The number of smartphones being stolen is increasing by the day. Phones are among the items as well as handbags, wallets, sat-navs being targarted by thieves in parked cars in places where few people pass by for long periods, such as graveyards and well known tourist attractions. The methods by which criminals extract their bounty are highly varied.

In one case, a Dublin couple mistakenly left the door of their car unlocked while parked overnight in the driveway, only to discover the next morning the radio and contents of the vehicle had been stolen. They were later told that it was likely thieves that had been masquerading as distributors of charity bags. Almost the whole estate has been kept under close surveillance and almost  every house had a mark or two on the  door of their property. An investigation was launched into this incident.

Continue reading »]]>

Crime Victims Helpline

Support For Victims Of Crime

We are all aware that crime is happening all around us on a daily basis, most of us do not often directly experience the effects of crime in our lives. When we do it can be a shocking experience. Crime Victims helpline is a support organisation that understands the issues and difficulties that victims of crime have to deal with and are there to offer help and give you that feeling of support that you are not alone.  How do they help -

They are there to listen – your call is confidential, you can talk about your experience of the crime to a trained person who will respond with care and empathy.

They are there to support – they understand what you as a victim are going through and will try to help and support you.

They will inform you about support services in your local area, help you to make contact with the Gardai and other agencies and services.

Trained volunteers are available to take calls on:

Monday – 10.00 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Tuesday to Friday  – 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

Saturday – 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.

Bank Holidays – 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.

(Outside those hours if you leave a message asking them to contact you they will do so promptly).

Contact Crime Victims Helpline  FREEPHONE 116 006

Call them on there call-save number 1850 21 14

Text 085 1337711

email: info@crimevictimshelpline.ie

www.crimevictimshelpline.ie

They will  also give you advice on matters such as the justice system, compensation due to injury as a result of a crime, and security for your home.

You do not need a particular reason to ring, or a particular question to want to ask, if you want to talk they are there to listen.

Continue reading »]]> Home Heating Safety Tips To Prevent Fires

With the colder nights setting in now and temperatures generally dropping, we are turning up thermostat dials, plugging in portable space heaters, lighting fireplaces and wood stoves just to keep warmer.

Here are some tips to follow to keep your home and family safe during these colder months.

Portable Space Heaters

Home Heating Safety Tips

• Make sure your heater has been tested for safety.
• Place space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn – including furniture, people, pets and curtains.
• There should always be an adult in the room when a space heater is on. Turn off space heaters before leaving a room or going to sleep.
• Supervise children and pets at all times when a portable space heater is in use. Never use space heaters to dry clothing or blankets.

 Fireplaces and Wood Stoves

• Burn only seasoned hardwood like oak, ash or maple. Do not burn trash, cardboard boxes because these items burn unevenly may contain poisons or cause a home fire.
• Have a trained professional inspect chimneys every year. Creosote logs can be used to help reduce the build-up of creosote  in fireplaces.
•  Check labels to make sure the log has been tested and approved by UL.
• Open flues before fireplaces are used.
• Use sturdy screens or glass doors to keep embers inside fireplaces.
• Install at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home and inside or near sleeping areas.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning Precautions:

Carbon Monoxide is known as “the silent killer”. You cannot see it, smell it or taste it.

It is a deadly gas that is produced by fuel-burning heating equipment, such as furnaces, wood stoves, fireplaces and kerosene heaters.

Follow these guidelines to help keep your family safer-

• Install at least one CO alarm near sleeping areas.
• Have your central heating system/woodstoves and fireplaces inspected by a professional each year, cleaned or repaired as needed.
• Never use an oven or range to heat your home.
• Keep gas appliances properly adjusted and serviced.
• Portable electric generators must be used outside only.
•  Never use them indoors, in a garage or in any confined area that can allow  CO  to collect.

Each household should have a well-rehearsed family escape plan

• It is esssential to have this plan of action in place and that it is well-rehearsed so you can make sure everybody is out safely inevent of a fire.
• Have fire extinguishers installed in your home, know where they are located and more importantly know how to use them.

Continue reading »]]> For 11 years eircom PhoneWatch has been reporting on burglary trends in Ireland.

During that period a staggering €748 million worth of goods has been taken from Irish homes nationwide.

The report has revealed that burglary is a crime phenomenon that is simply not going away, with burglaries in Ireland increasing by 4.12%.

These findings indicate that burglars are becoming increasing opportunistic and individuals are not adequately securing their property while they are in the home thus increasing the risk of confrontation and personal danger. It is becoming extremely important that people become more security aware while they are in the home and familiarise themselves with simple measures that they can introduce to make their home more secure.

The reports findings:-

Dublin continues to top Ireland’s burglary table, with burglaries increasing 13% this year.

The top 10 hotspots in Dublin

• South County Dublin
• North County Dublin (Fingal)
• Dublin 15
• Dublin 24
• Dublin 9
• Dublin 13
• Dublin 16
• Dublin 14
• Dublin 5
• Dublin 11

Nationwide Hotspots

Semi-detached homes represent the most targeted type of dwelling, with 3 bedrooms remain the most targeted. The back of the house is the most popular point of entry either by the rear window or by the rear/patio door. A surprising percentage of burglars gain access via the front of the house.

Value:-

In the twelve month period between July 2010 & June 2011 the average value of €1868 was taken from each home burgled. This equates to approx €48million worth of goods stolen from residential homes.

The findings also indicate that burglars are opportunistic than ever gaining entry through front and rear doors and taking lower value items such as jewellery & electrical equipment. Also the majority of homes burgled last year where occupied at the time.

All of the above statistics where taken from the Eircom Phonewatch Report. (See full report on www.phonewatch.ie)

Continue reading »]]> Halloween happening this weekend please take these fire precautions seriously and enjoy the weekend

• Mount fire extinguishers in your home and make sure all adults and older children know how to use them
• More home fires start in the kitchen than any other room make sure to keep a fire extinguisher or fire blanket close by
• Install smoke alarms on every level
• Test your smoke alarms regularly and if they require batteries, replace them
• Install a carbon monoxide detector near your bedrooms
• Get a fire safety blanket to store in your child’s bedroom. It can shield your child during an escape or even extinguish a small fire
• Never light candles unless you’re in the room to supervise
• Keep all flammables several feet away from fireplaces, space heaters and lamps
• Learn first aid and CPR
• If you have a multi-story dwelling, get a fire ladder. Practice using it from a ground floor window.
• Avoid overloading wall sockets
• Cover unused electrical outlets with outlet covers. (Nearly 4000 people are hospitalized every year because of outlet-related accidents; one-third of them are caused by children inserting objects in the outlet)
• Have your chimney cleaned every year
• Treat electrical cords with care. Examine them regularly and replace frayed or worn cords. Loose cords are hazardous; use cord shorteners or wire guards to store them out from under furniture and carpets
• Don’t use extension cords permanently
• Keep your barbecue at least three feet away from the side of the house
• Clean the lint screen of your dryer every time you use it, and turn the dryer off when you leave the house
• Use the correct bulbs in light fixtures to prevent overheating
• Unplug counter top appliances after each use
• Make sure kitchen and bathroom outlets are protected withGFCIs

Continue reading »]]> Picture this you arrive home, your house is in a mess you come into your kitchen and find the kitchen window glass removed, you been robbed! Your laptops, cameras, watches, jewellery & cash are all gone.

When you calm down you say to yourself nobody was hurt everything can be replaced you have house insurance and you never claimed before. You make a claim for €12000.00 to cover your financial losses. Your insurance provider sends out an assessor, who agrees with the cost of your claim and a few weeks later a cheque arrives.

Then your house insurance policy renewal comes through the door, you can’t believe the cost has doubled. You have been with this insurance company for years and always paid on time. Unhappy you call another company for a quotation but after learning you made a claim, they don’t want to know you they refuse to provide a quotation at all.

Unfortunately the above scenario happens all the time. A recent survey by the National Consumer Agency (NCA) found that 6 different insurance companies will refuse to quote for home insurance for a house in Dublin after a €12000.00 claim was made after a burglary.

In the survey, the NCA sought quotations from a number of companies to insure a 3 bed townhouse in Dublin 6, where the rebuilding cost of the house was €350,000.00 and the contents were valued at €75,000.00. They asked for quotes for the house where there was no previous claim for burglary, and where there was one to the tune of €12,000.00 last year.

Quotations where the house had not been burgled ranged from €422.00 t0 €782.00. However where the house had been burgled 6 insurance companies refused outright to provide any quotation at all. Only two provided a quote with one wanting €706.00 to insure it and another demanding an astonishing €1083.00 for the same house, over €300.00 more than the highest quotation for a “non-burgled” scenario!

(The above information was researched on www.houseinsuranceireland.com)