Don’t Let Burglars Score This Summer

Don’t Let Burglars Score This Summer

Holiday Period Sees Peak in Burglaries – Same as Christmas

With England in the last 16, The World Cup is about to get really interesting. You’re probably now wondering whether you should buy tickets to go and support your home team in the flesh. But before you make that last-minute decision remember one key thing – keep your home secure while away – whether in Russia or Ruislip.

It is estimated that approximately 45 million Brits go away on holiday between late June and the end of August . The excitement of the World Cup means you might be squeezing in a little extra travel, but did you know the summer holidays are also peak time for burglaries? In fact, they are as high as the Christmas period!

Verisure, Europe’s leading provider of monitored security solutions and the UKs leader in new security alarms has come up with some top tips for keeping your home more secure this summer.

Before you go on holiday:

• Cancel any regular deliveries that will sit on your doorstep and alert passers-by of your absence
• Always lock the door and never hide a key near the home
• Keep all doors and windows tightly shut – make sure that all access points to your home are properly locked when you are not in
• Never keep large amounts of cash or valuable objects in the house
• Give the impression that there is someone at home – New technology now makes it possible to program the lights and other appliances to switch on and off. It is advisable to ask a person you trust to pick up your mail on a regular basis.

While you’re away:

• Stay off social networks – You might be having a great time watching your home team win a game (hopefully) and you might want to share your experiences on social networks BUT telling everyone about a prolonged absence from your home and significant purchases on social media is just one more attraction to burglars.

Some key statistics:

• 39% of residential burglaries are most likely to take place during the summer and Christmas holiday
• 24% of victims believe they were burgled because they did not have an alarm, yet only 2% have installed a monitored smart alarm
• The disruption caused by a burglary can dramatically affect people beyond the loss of physical belongings with people reporting a range of emotions from being shocked (20%), scared (15%), worried (15%), angry (15%), insecure in their own home (12%), and even embarrassed (8%) in the aftermath3

Bryan, a 75-year-old widower, is only too aware of the emotional impact of being burgled. The criminals didn’t just take everything of value, they also took Bryan’s sense of home and security. “While I’m thankful that I wasn’t in the house at the time, a home burglary is a deeply personal, traumatic experience. After being targeted for such a cold and intrusive burglary my home didn’t feel safe for many months. I still wake in the night, sensitive to the smallest noise. I’m on constant high alert”.

• Further research revealed that 27% of Brits would confront a burglar in their home and 15% would attempt to restrain an intruder .

Further more many Brits aren’t taking basic, everyday precautions:

• 73% don’t check their alarms work and are up-to-date
• 72% don’t ensure their gates are always closed
• 37% don’t ensure all doors and windows are locked before leaving the house
• 49% don’t leave the lights on when they’re out the house (to give the appearance of being home).

Verisure has recently launched a new smart alarm, ZeroVision, that enables homeowners to proactively protect their properties remotely. Remotely activated, ZeroVision expels a dense and bothersome fog so the intruder simply cannot see. The alarm is connected to Verisure’s Alarm Receiving Centre which means that the property is then protected while the police and Verisure’s security guard service arrive at the home or business premises.

To see Verisure’s ZeroVision Alarm in action please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAmmGl8ZtFg or for unbranded footage of the ZeroVision Alarm in action or supporting photography please email verisure@melvillecommunications.co.uk

About Verisure

Verisure is the number one alarm company in Europe’s home and small businesses security alarms industry with over 25 years of innovation, 2.6 million customers and over 14,000 employees. The company sells and installs the most advanced alarm systems with voice and image recognition, 24/7 expert monitoring solutions and services from their top-notch Alarm Receiving Centre - ARC Gold approved by the National Security Inspectorate (NSI). The company handles more than eight million signals from alarm devices a year with a response time of under a minute. Verisure can be found in 14 countries - Spain, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, France, Portugal, Italy, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and the United Kingdom. Visit www.versiure.co.uk for more information.

For further information and supporting images (photographic and video) please contact:

Melville Communications
Victoria Melville, Nicola Williamson and Duncan Gurney
+44 (0)1483 489009
verisure@melvillecommunications.co.uk

Verisure UK
Jeremy Benamou, Marketing Director
jeremy.benamou@verisure.co.uk
Lotte Uttley, Communications Manager
lotte.uttley@verisure.co.uk