Is Housebreaking Set to Rise After COVID?
Housebreaking in Scotland
If you have been burgled in the past, you will know just how devastating it can be. Mentally and financially it can be very damaging and is definitely something to try and prevent. After getting in touch with the police, the first thing that most people do is call a locksmith to make their property safe. When I arrive, I replace any broken locks with upgraded secure ones and check the quality of any other locks protecting entry points to the property. If keys are missing, I will suggest changing all the locks on external doors. This is not as expensive as you may think and well worth it for peace of mind. It’s just a pity that most people wait until something like this happens before taking steps to ensure their home is secure.
Many people think that being burgled is unlikely to happen to them. Unfortunately, no area in Scotland is free from the crime of housebreaking. The most recent Scottish Crime Statistics for 2021-2022, published at the end of August 2022, reveal Glasgow is the THIRD worst area in Scotland for housebreaking.
Top 5 housebreaking rates per 10,000 residents
- Edinburgh (40 burglaries)
- Dundee (32 burglaries)
- Glasgow – (30 burglaries)
- Midlothian (30 burglaries).
- North Lanarkshire (24 burglaries).
(These figures are a five year average from year ending June 2018 to year ending June 2022.)
On a more positive note, it also noted that between 2020-2021 and 2021-2022
- Crimes recorded by the police decreased by 4%
- Although ‘Crimes of Dishonesty’ (theft, robbery, burglary etc., which accounts for around one third of all crime) increased by 4%, it is still at its lowest level seen since 1971.
What are ‘Crimes of Dishonesty’?
‘Crimes of dishonesty’ is an umbrella term covering a number of different crimes. The top 4 categories and their percentage incidence is outlined below
- Other theft (36%)
- Shoplifting (25%)
- Fraud (18%)
- Housebreaking (9%)
Unfortunately, although housebreaking decreased by 40% between the end of June 2018 and the end of June 2022, this is largely attributed to the many pandemic lockdowns and increased prevalence of home working.
Why housebreaking rates might soon rise
Many commentators predict that housebreaking will rise in the near future. The reasons for this are not surprising.
- People returning to a more ’normal’ way of living means homes are left unoccupied for longer. E.g. people are going out to work, socialising, going on holiday etc. This creates more opportunities for burglars.
- More significantly, we are facing an unprecedented cost of living crisis. Sadly, during harsh and difficult times, crimes of dishonesty, including house burglary, tend to increase.
It has even been predicted that in some ‘hotspot’ areas in the UK, residential burglaries will increase by up to 60% by 2026. It is clear from this that good home security has never been more important.
What can I do?
The best thing you can do is make your home less attractive to burglars. Replacing cheap locks with good quality secure ones is essential. In addition, better exterior lighting, closing the curtains at night and using timers on lights when you are out etc. can also help.
If you need any of your locks upgraded, Liberty Locksmiths is a trusted local locksmith in Glasgow. We have very high ratings on Google, Yell and Facebook and can help protect your home with good quality locks at affordable prices. Get in touch to find out more about our range of locksmith services.
