Be sure you’re not unknowingly gifting to thieves and intruders this season

Christmas, a time for giving. Be sure you’re not unknowingly gifting to thieves and intruders this season.

Festive Christmas Scene

It’s been a year of shifting focus for almost all of us, and at Stop Intruders, we’re always on the lookout for new ways we can help our customers protect themselves against criminals. After the latest November lockdown across much of the United Kingdom, I wanted to make sure that you’re aware of the crime trends that can directly affect you over the festive period.

A black market emerging that’s threatening business continuity

As businesses begin the countdown to Christmas, and the nights draw in further, commercial theft is going to become one of the largest areas for increased crime. We recognise that this time of the year becomes one of the most stressful for facility owners and managers, as staff levels reduce and peoples thoughts turn to their Christmas turkeys, it becomes harder to ensure that premises’ are properly secured against intruders.

As well as the usual targeting of tools, materials and retail stocked items, facility managers in the healthcare sector and companies reliant on PPE stocks to operate ought to be aware that PPE is becoming one of the most targeted items, due to a vast black market that is forming around protective equipment. 

A 4% recovery rate for bike theft, not great odds, but yours is safe and secure right?

The nights are cold, fields wet and roads damp. If you own a motocross bike, expensive road or mountain bike, or any item that is typically stored in a garage, shed or outbuilding - this is the time of the year where you're looking out your window and thinking “maybe I’ll go out tomorrow”.

The decreased presence around your outbuildings, garages and outdoor property will not go unnoticed by thieves and burglars, and now is the time to actually increase your presence rather than decreasing it. The dark nights, bitterly cold winds and loud rainstorms make the perfect conditions to go unnoticed when breaking into these types of properties. So stay vigilant!

Make sure you don’t give away a package deal for a steal this season

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the fall in domestic crime offences between the first lockdown period (April-June) was staggering, with a fall of up to 30% in comparison to the January to March period. Although the figures have not yet been released for the month of November, it is safe to assume that there was also likely a 10-20% fall in domestic theft offences based on the previous month.

The fall in crime over the lockdown period has two primary impacts for December:

• An increased level of desperation from criminals

• A focus on new seasonal crime opportunities

We are expecting to see a sharper increase in the rise of domestic theft offences in the United Kingdom. This is going to be spurred by a return to work for many people. Crime is going to mainly be focused around the usual winter spike of theft due to on-display gifts and packages left outside of properties.

Package theft is very likely to be the number one source of crime, this is going to be driven by an overwhelming number of shoppers avoiding stores, and heading straight to the online checkout. Delivery drivers are going to be rushed, and may end up leaving packages in less than ideal locations outside of your property. 

Our advice this Christmas is to pay extra attention to when parcels are being delivered, and of course making sure that your property is the least attractive to thieves! We recently wrote an article on this - be sure to have a read.