dealing with burglary

[ninikins]

My mums home got burgled a few days ago and she has trouble feeling safe in he rhome now. It all happened when she was asleep. How would you deal with this?

[prue187]

If ever that happened to me, I'll definitely put up an alarm system. I'll also change all my door locks. I'll make sure that windows are closed before I go to sleep.

[reviewer]

It will take time, but taking some precautions will also help. Keep in mind that being a crime victim is an emotionally damaging event as well as just financially damaging.

[juol]

The best way to deal with this situation is to find out how the burglary happened in the first place; how the burgler got into her house so you could add more protection in that part of your home. Make sure you learn from your ordeal.

[cesc]

Yeah you should identify how it happened...but also add alarms...they are a must.

[Calypso]

After a burglary, some people feel safer sleeping in a hotel for a few nights until the home is secured again, and most insurance companies will pay for this.

I agree that it's important to work closely with the police to identify how the burglar got in and then fortify those areas. This might be a good time to consult with a security firm and hear their ideas on making the home safer as well.

Thank goodness your mother wasn't hurt! I hope she starts feeling comfortable in her home again soon!

[SageMother]

Originally Posted by ninikins

My mums home got burgled a few days ago and she has trouble feeling safe in he rhome now. It all happened when she was asleep. How would you deal with this?

The same thing happened to me about 12 years ago. My first instinct was to move but after a while I started feeling safe again. I made sure I had extra locks on the doors and new latches on the windows, though.

[iStorm]

Originally Posted by prue187

If ever that happened to me, I'll definitely put up an alarm system. I'll also change all my door locks. I'll make sure that windows are closed before I go to sleep.

So what your saying is you would wait untill you have been burgled to put an alarm in place? I have seen this so often, its hoffific, i can remember this one time and it sticks in my mind for ever!! I was an apprentice at the time, we had gone to do an installation at a property, It was first thing in the morning and this job was apparently an emergency fit!! I Arrived and another engineer, There where police there, and an old lady, extremely upset, i worked out in my own head that she had been burgled the night before, but what i didnt know was that, her husband had had a heart attack and been rushed to the emergency ward in an ambulance, they had been listening in to ambulance frequencys, she returned from loosing her husband to find her house ransacked and her car taken! Please bare in mind this was 15-16 years ago, And it has stuck with me for ever, they are scum and will stop at nothing! A detterent is better than nothing!

[COL]

Hi, just joined the forum so thiis is my first post.
I've got to agree with Iain - day to day we repeatedly get told horror stories about assault and burglary - ANY deterrent is better than no deterent and fitting an alarm system, no matter where you are in the world is always a sensible move. It's an awful thing to say, but if given a choice between your property which is protected by an alarm or CCTV system or an unprotected neighbour's property, the criminal will always choose the unprotected premises. I know this is only passing the problem further down the road, so to speak, but things have changed considerably over the past 25 years or so.
When I first started in this business, commonly the only people who had domestic systems fitted where those within, what were seen as, higher risk groups. A lot of people regarded the fitting of a security system as a Red Flag to potential thieves, believing it drew attention to a property and the potential of high value items within the premises. This has changed considerably with most people realizing that security systems do deter the criminal fraternity.
The only other thing I would add is that a dog, if conditions permit, is always a good audible and visual deterrent and can add an element of physical protection.
Cheers
Jim

[brian]

Good pointers all round - thanks for those.

I remember another potential issue with home alarms is that traditionally they used to be seen as a hassle - the nuisance of them going off without real justification.

I presume home alarms have come a long way since then.