The coronavirus pandemic changed the world as we know it, as the world was thrown into various lockdown restrictions to control the spread. But how have these restrictions and the subsequent restored freedoms affected the rate of burglaries? Let us take a look.

How did lockdown affect crime figures?

During the lockdown restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, crime fell significantly around the world. According to The Guardian, robberies declined by an average of 46%, vehicle thefts by 39%, assaults by 35%, burglaries by 28%, and minor crimes by 47%.

Another study found that average daily robberies including muggings plummeted by 85% in Lima, 80% in Barcelona, 60% in London, 58% in Brisbane, and 50% in Rio de Janeiro. Robberies also fell by less than 50% in Amsterdam, San Francisco, Chicago, and Helsinki.

What did the experts predict?

When most people were forced to work from home during lockdown, and only a small number of places were physically open for business, this is likely to have put off burglars with the understanding that they would be more likely to be caught. However, as lockdown restrictions have eased, there has been more opportunity for home burglaries, as a significant number of people are no longer home 24/7.

In June 2021, Scotland Yard expressed fears that crime would go up after the lifting of lockdown rules. DCS Lee Hill cited pent-up aggression and increased opportunity as reasons for these concerns.

But it is one thing to predict potential consequences, and another thing to look back at what actually occurred once lockdown restrictions did ease earlier this year.

There’s evidence of higher burglary rates since the end of lockdown

Since lockdown restrictions were lifted, as published by WalesOnline, an insurer said there was a 6.2% increase in burglaries from the first to second quarter of this year. In other words, there were apparently 3,600 more reported burglaries between April and June than in January to March, amounting to around £169 million in stolen property.

These figures coincided with 20% of people reportedly spending more time out of their homes to take advantage of the restrictions being lifted, leading to many of them becoming extremely concerned about their vulnerability to burglary.

Although burglary figures do indeed seem to be on the rise since the lifting of restrictions, there are a few ways you can help protect your home and your family from potential break ins.

  1. Install security systems

Installing a burglar alarm and/or a motion sensor is the first line of defence against robberies.

  1. Ensure your burglar alarms are working properly

Once you have a reliable security system and burglar alarm, you need to make sure that they are maintained, so that you can be confident of them always working properly. We would urge you to enlist a professional for this task – and sure enough, Firstford offer burglar alarm servicing for customers in Essex.

  1. Lock your doors even when in the house

Locking your doors and windows during the day and night – even when you are just upstairs – will give you the peace of mind of knowing that no one can easily enter your home.

  1. Keep valuables out of sight

Leaving your valuables out where they can be seen just advertises to criminals that you have things worth stealing. So, make sure you keep them out of sight.

Would you like to discuss your home security needs in greater detail with qualified and experienced professionals? If so, please do not hesitate to contact the Firstford Ltd team today.