How to prevent home burglaries during the summer
How to prevent home burglaries during the summer
With the arrival of good weather and the holidays, we spend more time away from home and, unfortunately, this is also when home burglaries increase. Thieves take advantage of prolonged absences, but the good news is that there are simple and very effective measures to reduce the risk.
Following the recommendations of the Mossos d’Esquadra and local police forces, we have compiled the main safety tips so you can go away (or stay) with greater peace of mind.
If you go on vacation
Before leaving home, take a few minutes to prepare it:
- Make sure doors and windows are properly closed and activate the alarm if you have one.
- Do not leave valuables in plain sight and store them in safe places.
- Notify someone you trust to collect the mail and occasionally check on the property.
- Avoid leaving obvious signs of absence: fully closed shutters, full mailboxes, or answering machines with messages indicating you are away.
- Be discreet: do not tell strangers that you are leaving or post it on social media.
- Never hide keys in outdoor spaces (flower pots, mailboxes, doormats…).
It is highly recommended to keep an inventory of valuable items (with photographs, brand, model, and serial number). In the event of a burglary, this greatly facilitates police work.
If you stay at home
Prevention is also key in everyday life:
- Do not open the door to unknown persons.
- Always ask for identification from service technicians (water, electricity, gas…) and verify the service by calling the company directly.
- Collect your mail daily.
- Always lock the door with a key, even if you are leaving for a short time.
- Make sure the building entrance door is properly closed and check that no unknown person takes advantage to enter.
- Do not leave keys inserted in the exterior lock or in any hiding place.
- If you lose your keys, change the lock.
- In detached houses, light timers or home automation systems help simulate presence.
Watch out for “markers” on the door
Especially in summer, security forces warn about the presence of small markers (transparent adhesive tape, threads, plastics…) that indicate someone is checking whether there is movement in the home.
If you detect any:
Do not remove it and immediately call 112.
In case of any suspicion
- If you hear strange noises or see people with suspicious behavior, call the police.
- If you notice forced doors or windows, do not touch anything and notify the security forces.
- If you enter your home and the burglars are still inside, avoid confrontation, allow them to flee, and call 112.
There is no foolproof system, but every obstacle, every security measure, and every preventive action makes your home less attractive as a target.
Everyone’s cooperation is key to preventing and investigating burglaries.
This summer, go away or stay home with greater peace of mind.
