There are roughly 2.5 million burglaries every year in the U.S., with 66% of those being home break ins. But the most disturbing fact is: a third of burglars gain access to our homes in the daylight because of the front door not being locked.
According to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics, a home break-in is the most common threat to our home. In the U.S., it occurs every 13 seconds! Unfortunately, this unlucky thirteen is also the percent of solved reported burglary cases, due to a lack of witnesses or physical evidence, which means the probability of finding the perpetrator and retrieving the stolen valuables is very low… When it is hard to count on a successful identification of the guilty, the most important thing is prevention. Burglars are mostly attracted to homes that do not have a home security system. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology released a report which stated that almost two thirds of convicted burglars had been scared off by a home security system. Which means that installing a home security system of any kind significantly lowers the probability of your home becoming the target.
Did you lock the door?
A more immediate solution is to just make sure everyday that your front door is definitely locked. Contrary to popular belief, break ins are much more likely to occur during the day, especially between 10 AM and 3 PM. When most people are at work or school, the risk of a burglar being noticed and reported is low. But here’s the most surprising fact: around 30% of burglars gain access to homes through unlocked entrances. And an astonishing 34% of them aren’t shy to enter through the front door! So… Did you lock the door today?
My experiences
Well, I wouldn’t be sure as well, if it wasn’t for Locky – a smart key overlay, which makes it simply impossible to forget about locking the door. I used to be tormented by these doubts all day long and it drove me to despair. Often, just after I left for work, the ‘Sebastian, did you lock the door?’ thought would attack. It wasn’t so bad, if I could still go back and check. But if I was already at work and couldn’t make sure immediately? More than once, in the middle of an important meeting, I was distracted by the constant ‘Did you lock the door? DID YOU? FOR SURE?!’ Maybe you’ll think I’m oversensitive, but the security of my home and my family has always been the most important thing for me. I happen to forget stuff. At this crazy pace of life it probably happens to each and every one of us. But forgetting to lock the door can have very serious consequences. That’s why it is so very important to be absolutely certain that your home is safe.
PS. Honestly, did you lock the door today? For sure? 😉