Autumn and winter nights

Autumn and winter crime prevention

Burglaries often increase during the autumn and winter months, when burglars tend to target homes that are unlit during the darker afternoons. Residents can make their homes more secure by following some basic crime prevention advice such as:

• Lock all doors and windows, and ensure any PVCu doors are locked properly by lifting the handle and using the key to double-lock them
• Consider installing a doorbell camera, internal camera and/or monitored burglar alarm
• Install ‘dusk to dawn’ external lighting and use timer switches in your home to control internal lights, radios and a simulated TV
• Keep keys and valuables secure and out of sight
• Ensure boundary fences are secure with side gates locked. Keep tools and ladders in a locked shed
• Secure bins at night and put garden furniture away for the winter as these can be used by burglars as climbing aids to gain access to upper floor windows
• Ensure your vehicle is locked and remove all valuables as burglars often check to see if doors are left unlocked

More crime prevention advice is available at the Metropolitan Police