news, press | 31. October 2011 Warning: twilight hours
Warning: twilight break-in
Where do break-ins take place?
Break-ins take a matter of seconds
How burglars get in and how long they need to do so. The high season for twilight break-ins began in October. Until March, early sunsets will now help burglars to force entry into houses, apartments and companies unnoticed as early as late afternoon. Police record up to 70% more break-ins during this period than in the rest of the year.
Time is money, a maxim which particularly applies to criminals.
Many break-ins are spontaneous acts. If a burglar quickly comes up against resistance, he will often just give up. That is why it is important for companies and private individuals to make it as difficult as possible for such criminals. However, even a fully secured main entrance will not help very much if the window next to it is not properly secured. It is also important not to forget secondary doors, such as rear entrances and balcony and terrace doors. In the case of houses in particular, burglars mostly gain entry through windows and secondary doors, such as those leading to terraces and basements (see diagram "Where burglars break in".
It's not a question of minutes, but seconds.
As security experts point out, burglars often take just a few seconds to break into a property which is inadequately secured. Professional burglars need about ten seconds to gain entry through unprotected secondary doors and no longer than thirty for main entrances (see diagram "Duration of break-ins in seconds"). Break-ins through upper storeys are also on the increase. Ladders, waste bins or other items which can be used to climb on and gain entry should be removed from outside houses.
Resistance requires experience.
The more time and force burglars need to breach a securing device, the more difficult and the less interesting it is for them to attempt a break-in. It might just be easier to break into an adjacent building.Better luck next door. This is why time-tested security technology from experienced manufacturers such as EVVA is essential. Security locking cylinders, supplementary locks, access control, alarm and video systems and other items offer optimum resistance or serve as an effective deterrent. They reduce the risk of break-ins considerably as well as the consequential risk of financial loss and psychological effects. Burglars not only steal valuables, electronic goods, documents, jewellery or cash, they also take away a feeling of security.
Link: Tips on how you can protect yourself against burglary
You can also select the following photos to accompany this press release. To download the photos, right-click (click "alt" on Macintosh) on the required file and select "Save as". If you are using Internet Explorer, we're sorry but you won't be able to display CMYK images in your browser.
Photo 1: Break-in methods (CMYK, 4.4 MB), Break-in methods (RGB, 2.2 MB)
Photo 2: Duration of break-ins (CMYK, 4.1 MB), Duration of break-ins (RGB, 2.3 MB)
Photo 3: House at twilight (CMYK, 2.0 MB), House at twilight (RGB, 757 KB)