SBD products foil Essex burglary attempt

SBD, a crime prevention initiative operated by the Police Service across the UK, seeks to reduce crime by combining minimum standards of physical security like doors, windows and locks that achieve SBD’s Police Preferred Specification standard and proven design principles of the built environment such as natural surveillance and defensible space.

In the attempted burglary, the burglar has repeatedly struck a patio door trying to smash their way in to the property, but despite the glass eventually puncturing, the door remained fully in tact preventing entry. Several attempts were made to lever the doors open, but these were unsuccessful too.

Stephen Armson-Smith, Crime Prevention Design Advisor for the Braintree and Uttlesford districts said: “This is a good example building developers and local planning departments working with the police to ensure that new homes are built with certified products such as windows with laminated glazing and doors. These measures have been proven to reduce burglary”.

Doug Skins, SBD Development Officer for Essex, said: “It’s brilliant that the burglar was stopped in their tracks and didn’t get in as this vindicates what we are trying to do.”

Independent academic research shows that SBD developments that incorporate crime prevention techniques in the building design and layout and accredited products in the physical security of properties can reduce crimes like burglary by up to 75% in new-build homes than comparable non-SBD properties (source: University of Huddersfield).

Fitting Police Preferred Specification products makes it significantly more difficult for burglars to break into a property, particularly where there is good surveillance from neighbouring properties or the street. Building in extra security at the design stage does not add significant costs to the development, but does act as a deterrent to criminality and lead to lower maintenance costs over time.

Whilst police are unable to recommend specific products, SBD can act as an effective gatekeeper and signposting service to our 650 member companies and their products, which meet our rigorous Police Preferred Specification standards.

Members’ products range from secure and robust doors, windows and locks through to cutting-edge IT products, CCTV components, and shutters and barriers. SBD is the only way for companies to obtain police accreditation for security products in the UK.