High-value items, timed lighting, security marking, safes
Most houses these days have property inside which is attractive to the opportunist criminal: cash, jewellery, TVs, laptops, tablets, gaming kit, small electrical items etc. Large amounts of cash and expensive jewellery should not be kept in the house unless adequately protected. You should consult your insurance company about these items and their protection.
Prepare an inventory of all items of value. The inventory should include descriptions of items and their value. Take photos of your jewellery and other valuables, and try to include a ruler in the photograph to give some indication of size.
Interior checklist
Here are the questions from the Interior section of the burglary prevention checklist in the toolkit, and answers in bold:
- Are doors kept locked with the keys removed, kept out of sight/reach, but to hand in case of emergency? Yes
- Do you use timer switches and/or a fake TV unit when leaving the house unoccupied? Yes
- Are items such as cash, car keys, laptops, jewellery, phones kept out of view? Yes
- Are chargers and cables for laptops or iPads kept out of view? Yes
- Have you created a written and photographic record of items of value? Yes