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It Only Takes a Minute - Anti Sneak-in Burglary Campaign

It Only Takes a Minute - Lock Up or Lose Out!

Monday, 30th April, 2012

The Force is continuing it’s crackdown on sneak-in burglary by asking the question, ‘What can you do in a minute?’

The Spring and Summer months traditionally see a rise in sneak-in burglaries, but students in particular often find themselves becoming victims. Student accommodation often contains expensive gadgets which are left on display and people are constantly coming and going from the property. This provides an ideal environment for a sneak-in burglar.

Our latest video, below, shows students from Leeds telling us what they can do in a minute. Home security is clearly not high on their agenda, but hopefully the video will remind them and all residents in West Yorkshire how quick and easy it is to lock your doors and windows and keep the sneak-in burglars out.

Tweet us @WestYorksPolice with your ideas of what you could do in a minute or message us at www.facebook.com/westyorkshirepolice

Burglary continues to be a major priority for the Force.

The clocks going forward on 25th March often leads to an increase in sneak-in burglaries in particular, throughout the Spring and Summer months. The peak is usually in June.

The Force has launched a campaign, which will run from the end of March to the end of September, to encourage everyone to think about their home security, as well as advising the public to ‘lock up or lose out’.

The campaign is titled ‘It Only Takes a Minute’ as it only takes a minute to lock your doors and windows but it is also the same amount of time that it could take a burglar to enter your house and steal your belongings.

The key messages of the campaign are:

It only takes a minute to lock your doors and windows to secure your home.
It only takes a minute to hide valuables out of view.
It only takes a minute for a burglar to enter your property and steal valuable belongings if your doors or windows are unlocked.
You should keep doors and windows locked, even when you are in the house and when you get home. Try to change your habit if you don’t lock your door behind you.
Door chimes and burglar alarms will deter a burglar from entering your property.
‘Lock up or lose out’.
Being a victim of sneak-in burglary can have both emotional and financial effects. High value goods are costly to replace if stolen, and items such as phones and cameras often hold information with sentimental value such as photos, which cannot be replaced.
Many insurance companies will not pay out if your home has been burgled while insecure.
Keep doors and windows locked when in the garden having BBQs, gardening, hanging out the washing, etc.
Don’t leave garden tools or furniture outside, as they can be used by burglars to enter your property.
Dispose of packaging for expensive items properly; don’t advertise what is in your house.