Police CPI supports National Home Security Month 2022

Taking place every October, and with a decade of protecting homes under its belt, the objective of NHSM is to raise awareness of home security and the importance of taking precautions to ensure both homes and loved ones are protected. The campaign runs throughout the month, coinciding with the start of the autumn when the nights start to draw in and the clocks go back an hour.

Yale, the founder of this national campaign and leading security brand, is joined by an array of supporters and retail partners in offering top tips and advice to help secure properties during the vulnerable dark night’s period.

Earlier this year, Yale commissioned a national survey to understand the perceptions of home security and see how UK homeowners prioritise the protection of their property.

Whilst those surveyed have their own tactics to secure their homes, such as keeping a light on when they go out (52%) and leaving on a TV or radio (28%)*, it was revealed that two thirds haven’t upgraded their home security in the last two years. These worrying statistics not only show the weak protection methods homeowners put in place when leaving their property unattended, but also highlight the lack of prioritisation of home security in general.

According to Yale’s recent research, in 23% of cases, burglars gained access through the front door, highlighting just how important the protection of this area of the home is to homeowners. The survey showed that only 1 in 10 people change the locks when they move house, a particularly vulnerable time for opportunists operating in the area. Further to this, only 27% of respondents knew what type of lock they need to prevent lock snapping, the act of breaking the cylinder of a lock, suggesting the need for more education on the subject.

The outside of our home offers the perfect space for a first line of defence against criminals. This is why an outdoor security upgrade is such an essential part of home security protection.

External security products that are well worth the investment include smart alarms, security lighting and security cameras. Working as effective visual deterrents, alarms, lighting and security cameras not only help to keep the burglars at bay, but with smart versions available, homeowners can now even monitor and protect their home remotely.

In addition, it is important not to forget the more traditional methods of external home protection. If heading out to enjoy the festivities of the season, it is worth asking trusted neighbours to keep an eye on your property, looking out for any suspicious activity in the area. Encouragingly 85% of respondents revealed that they would watch over a neighbour’s house while they are away, even if they were not asked to, so this effective home protection method is something homeowners should keep in mind to improve security this autumn.

Alongside this though, the statistics have revealed that only 20% of people have invested in security cameras and only 18% utilise the many benefits of an alarm system, highlighting the general lack of outdoor security measures used by UK homeowners.

Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI) is a police owned organisation that delivers a wide range of crime prevention and demand reduction initiatives across the UK. The extensive Police CPI portfolio covers a variety of crime prevention initiatives, of which Secured by Design is the most well-known, with all initiatives designed to keep the public safe from crime and to reduce the demand on the police service.

Secured by Design (SBD) operates an accreditation scheme on behalf of the UK Police Service for products or services that have met recognised security standards. These products or services – which must be capable of deterring or preventing crime - are known as being of a ‘Police Preferred Specification’. 

There are many hundreds of companies who produce over 7000 individual attack resistant crime prevention products in more than 30 different categories that have met the exacting Police Preferred Specification. This includes doors, windows, external storage, bicycle and motorcycle security, locks and hardware, asset marking, alarms, CCTV, safes, perimeter security products and many others.

SBD is the only way for companies to obtain police recognition for security-related products in the UK www.securedbydesign.com

For more information and handy tips and advice from this year’s National Home Security Month from Yale, visit  https://www.homesecuritymonth.com/ or search #NHSM2022 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

*A poll of 2000 UK Adults (Nationally Representative) run by OnePoll, commissioned by Yale UK, 2022