1. Home Security
Paul Golley
Crime Prevention Team Leader
03/01/2019

2. Online Advice

3. Onion Peeling Principal
The best way to approach your home security is to start from the boundaries and work your way into the centre, treating each area as a layer, until you reach the targeted contents. This is known as the 'onion peeling principle'.
Although the layers differ for each household, generally they can be broken down as follows:
Boundaries
Sheds & Garages
Lighting & Alarms
House
Contents

4. Boundaries
Front boundaries should not exceed 1m in height - unless they are metal railings, which allow natural vision through. Enclosed front gardens provide a screen for burglars to hide behind.
Side and rear boundaries should be a minimum of 1.8m in height If the height of the boundary exceeds 2m in height, planning permission may be required Increase security by adding diamond style trellis to top of the fence making it more difficult to climb over. Trellis also provides an ideal framework for spiky defensive planting, such as climbing roses.

5. Boundaries
Side and driveway gates should be the same height as the side and rear boundaries
and, where possible, be level with the front building line,
to eliminate recessed areas which exceed 600mm
Metal garden gates allow good natural surveillance but need careful design to reduce climbing points, particularly at the locking and hinge points An anti-climb topping, such as a decorative spearhead design, will make the gates more difficult to climb over.
Wooden side and driveway gates should be secured on the inside with two substantial hasp and staples or padbolts with closed shackle padlocks - one towards the top and one towards the bottom to reduce leverage

6. Boundaries
Barbed wire, carpet gripper or broken glass are not advisable These may cause serious injury, which the occupier could be legally responsible for. There are alternative preventative anti-climb toppings, such as safe plastic strips with rows of pointed cones on top, which make it difficult to grip the top of fences or walls, but will not cause injury. A warning sign will still be required.
Gravel driveways and paths
prevent a silent approach and
burglars reportedly don’t like them!
Wheelie bins should be stored behind secure side gates
until collection day, to prevent them being used as climbing aids
and to prevent arson

7. Sheds & Garages. . . . are often the first places a burglar will target
Metal up-and-over garage doors can be secured with additional purpose made locks fitted to either side, approximately 300mm up from the floor, to reduce the leverage points
An external floor mounted, solid steel locking 'T' bar with a closed shackle padlock, will offer a good visual deterrent and make it difficult to force the door open BUT
Wooden garage double doors can be secured with two substantial hasp and staples and closed shackle padlocks, one towards the top and one towards the bottom.
Garage side or rear doors should be secured with BS lever mortice lock and two internal mortice bolts, one towards the top and one towards the bottom to reduce the leverage points

8. Sheds & Garages
Shed doors can be secured with two substantial hasp and staples and two closed shackle padlocks on the outside, one towards the top and one towards the bottom. External hinge screws should be replaced with one-way clutch head screws or coach bolts to prevent them from being removed and access gained from hinge side
Garage and shed windows can be reinforced with internal metal mesh grilles which provide a good visual deterrent to opportunistic burglaries. Net curtains can provide a useful screen
Garden tools and ladders should be secured by wrapping a substantial chain around them and padlocking them to an anchor point which has been secured to the floor or wall. This will prevent them from being stolen or used to break into the house
Tools and garden implements should be visibly property marked
with the postcode and house name or number, to deter theft
and assist police with identifying the rightful owner

9. Lighting
Dusk to dawn lighting at front of property to provide a constant and consistent level of lighting
PIR sensor lighting at side and rear of property only if property is overlooked. Don’t light isolated areas

10. Alarms
‘Sort out the physical security first and only afterwards put the alarm in.  Be aware that if you do have a top of the charts, bells and whistle alarm system in place and you get burgled and it’s discovered that you don’t have the right lock on your front door, your insurers may refuse to pay your claim.’
To find an NSI GOLD alarm installer in your area, search here:

11. House
Doors
Keeping your doors locked, even when you are at home, is vital for good home security.
Keep keys out of sight and reach from cat flaps, letterboxes, and downstairs doors and windows
Remove keys from the lock when you go out and at night
Don’t be tempted to keep a spare key hidden outside; this is an open invitation to thieves
Make sure doors and door frames are in a good condition
Choose door sets that have PAS 24: 2016 certificated standard for maximum security

12. House Wooden Doors
For maximum security, wooden doors should be solid and at least 44mm thick
Wooden front doors should be fitted with a 5-lever mortice deadlock, and an automatic deadlocking rim latch (both to BS3621). Fit a door chain and spyhole. Don’t add extra locks!
Wooden back doors should be fitted with a 5-lever mortice lock and key operated mortice bolts both to BS3621) at top and bottom opposite hinge points
Outward opening doors should have hinge bolts fitted close to top and bottom hinges
Laminated glass should be installed in and around doors for maximum security

13. House UPVC & Composite Doors
Make sure you have a door restrictor fitted so you can safely open the door to callers A Safe T bar is a good choice for UPVC doors
Add a letterbox deflector to prevent persons from reaching in for keys
or a flaplock to keep unwanted items from being posted through your letterbox

14. House
Windows
An open window may let in more than a cool breeze. If you open a window for an air, make sure you close it when you go out. To limit the windows opening, consider fitting restrictors to downstairs windows and those accessible from flat roofs
Ensure all ground floor windows, and any that are easily accessible from a flat roof, are fitted with suitable window locks. Use sash jammers on UPVC windows or choose from a wide selection if you have wooden windows. If you have locking handles, keep them locked and remove key.
As glazing is probably the weakest link in your security, consider using laminated glass as it is the most secure

15. Home
Keyless Homes

16. Contents How to protect valuables and sentimental items Install a safe
Burglars very rarely come equipped to deal with safes that are fitted to solid floors and/or solid walls with the correct fixings. A safe will reduce the likelihood of important documents, valuables and sentimental items being stolen if the household is burgled.
Leave the lights on
It's important to leave lights on if you are not returning until late afternoon or early evening, particularly during the autumn and winter months. Timing switches linked to the lights, normally two downstairs and one upstairs, and a radio tuned to a talk station, will give the impression that the house is occupied.
Mark your property
Property mark valuables with the postcode and house name or number to assist with identification. This can be done with an ultra violet pen or with a specialist marking kit such as a purpose made stencil with etching liquid, a unique chemical trace liquid or microdot system.
Immobilise
Take photographs
Photographs of stolen objects greatly improve the chances of recovery. Concentrate on what makes this object unique or identifiable. Indicate the object's size and dimensions by placing a ruler next to small items or writing down the measurements. Try to use a plain dark background and avoid patterned wallpaper or carpet.

17. Doorstep Action Network
We need more people on the lookout
Display a ‘No Cold Calling Home’ sticker
No need to open the door to callers
OK to send them away
Set up passwords with utility companies
Keep the outside of your property well maintained
Don’t keep large amounts of cash at home
IF YOU’RE NOT SURE, DON’T OPEN THE DOOR

18. Gadgets Garage door defender Guardcam Fake TV Patlock ‘Ring’ doorbell
Texting Shed alarm
Driveway Alarm
Window Shock Alarm
Key safe
Wildlife cameras
Door handle alarm
Safe cans
Oil tank alarm

19. Patlock

20. USEFUL WEBSITES ACCREDITATION AND LEGISLATION
SECURED BY DESIGN
SOLD SECURE
MASTER LOCKSMITHS
INFORMATION COMMISSIONER
NATIONAL SECURITY INSPECTORATE
OCCUPIERS LIABILITY ACT
GADGET SUPPLIERS
JNE SECURITY
SOLON SECURITY
ULTRA SECURE
CREMARK MARKING KITS
RING DOORBELL
IMMOBILISE PROPERTY DATABASE
FURTHER ADVICE

21. Lighting assessment

22. Lighting
Sporadic & inconsistent

23. Lighting Observations
Some streets accommodate twice as many lights are others.
Street Lighting is brighter in some streets than others and in one case (Earls Barton Road junctions), the light intermittently turned on and off during our presence.
Most streets lights consist of the black columns, with orange low sodium (some almost pink). Due to the ornate style, there are no angled heads, allowing some lighting pollution to occur. That said, as the lux levels seem low the lighting pollution impact is minimal.
there are two green columns (1x located at the church and another near the alleyway) that seem to be owned by the County Council looking at the identified sticker. These offer brighter, white lights

24. Colour Rendering

25. Lighting Public Spaces

26. Greater Uniformity

27. Light Pollution

28. End