Anti Social Behaviour, distraction burglay, street crime

domestic violence, domestic burglary, drug and alcohol abuse

How Secure is your Home - Part 5

Lighting

Lights can be a very successful crime prevention measure at night. You can help to make your home less attractive to burglars by fitting exterior lights and by putting lights on to make it look as if you are at home. It is useful to have an outside light by your front door so you can identify callers through your door viewer even at night.

• Consult a qualified electrician for advice on lighting and installation.

• A light activated by a photo-electric cell will come on automatically when darkness falls and switch off when it gets light. You can use a photo-electric cell and a 60-watt bulkhead lamp together as an effective and inexpensive form of automatic external lighting. These act as a good anti-burglar device because they give light all night.

• A passive infra-red (PIR) light will automatically come on if it detects heat movement. This type of system is available in most DIY stores. These systems are very sensitive and can be set off accidentally by pets or wild animals. It is important you aim the beam away from buildings if fitted with a high wattage bulb as it may annoy your neighbours.

• All external lighting units should be placed where they are difficult for intruders to reach or designed so that bulbs are hard to remove.

1. Fit automatically activated lights at the front and back of your house. There are different types of automatic lights on the market.

2. Fit timer switches to lamps in different rooms and set them to come on at different times during the evening while you are away. This creates the impression that you are at home. If you're away for a long time, you can also install motorised curtains to make the illusion even more realistic.

How secure is your home - Part 6