FROM QUEENSLAND POLICE
When was the last time you looked at your house and reassessed your security? Like any good risk assessment, a review of your home’s security should be ongoing. If you haven’t thought about it before, maybe now is the time.
Did you know that offenders do risk assessments too? Offenders will weigh up the potential reward against the risk of detection and the effort required to commit an offence; if the risk outweighs the reward, they won’t proceed.
Understanding this should help you with your own home security assessment. When conducting an assessment, consider options that assist you to remove the reward whilst increasing the amount of risk and effort required.
Here are four key principles of home security that should help you get started. By applying these simple principles, you can dramatically improve the security of your home.
- Make it easy for an offender to be seen: If an offender is easily seen, it increases the risk of being caught and decreases 0the likelihood of an offence being committed. Increase sight lines and consider trimming hedges and lifting canopies of trees, clearly define your boundaries and look at lighting vulnerable entry points to your home.
- Make it difficult for an offender to gain entry: Increasing the effort that is required to gain entry delays the time an offender stays on site, which in turn increases the risk of the offender being detected. A good lock-up routine is key! Key locking doors and windows is essential.
- Make it difficult for an offender to exit: A good lock-up routine is key! This forces an offender to utilise difficult exit points or channels an offender through an exit path covered by surveillance (CCTV, lighting, active guardians etc.).
- Make it difficult for an offender to gain a benefit from your property: Don’t keep valuables on display- put them away, and treat your car keys like cash (they are worth the value of your car). Property that is distinctive is hard to move on. Make your property unique by marking it and recording property descriptions, serial numbers etc. Keep an inventory.
The four security principles are part of our Layered Security Assessment system; for more information on how to conduct your own home security assessment, visit www.police.qld.gov.au/safety-and-preventing-crime/home-and-multi-residential-security.
The Bayside Crime Prevention Unit runs home security workshops; keep an eye out on MyPolice Bayside (https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/bayside/) for details.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.
Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
