A Co. Armagh resident has released CCTV stills of an attempted burglary at their property in a bid to raise awareness around home protection.
The footage, which was recorded on October 6, depicts four people attempting to enter the property, which is in the Whitecross area.
Armagh I understands the owners were in the property when the incident occurred.
The owner says the incident has been reported to police.
The PSNI have published advice to homeowners around security, highlighting that “a good many” burglaries are committed by “opportunistic criminals,” with unlocked doors and windows often used to gain quick and easy access.
The advice is for owners to invest in security fittings to be in place that don’t impede on fire exits.
Homeowner advice to prevent burglary:
- Check all doors and windows for any weaknesses.
- Fit mortise locks to all front and back doors and locks to all downstairs windows or windows which are easy to reach.
- Fit barrel locks to the top and bottom of doors.
- Make sure you keep the appropriate keys nearby in case of an emergency.
- Keep your house and car keys safe and away from doors and windows.
- Ensure your burglar alarm is installed properly and works. If you don’t have a burglar alarm consider installing one.
- When you are away from home, use timer switches to turn on some lights when it goes dark.
- Make sure you have up-to-date contents insurance.
- Cancel any milk or newspaper deliveries when you go away.
- Before you go out, go into each room in the house and make sure all the windows are tightly shut and locked. A burglar may be less likely to enter your home if a window needs to be smashed. Check all doors leading into your home are secure and locked.
- If you have a garage, put your car inside if you are not using it.
- Recent improvements in car security mean that the easiest way for a thief to steal a car is to break into your house and steal the keys for it therefore keep car keys were they will not be easily found.
- Ensure your main garage door is shut and locked.
- If there are any bicycles or toys sitting around the outside of the house, put them away.
Last month PSNI ran a digital awareness campaign around rural crime and burglaries.
Rural Crime lead, Superintendent Johnston McDowell, said: “Rural crime is a huge priority for police and it’s a much wider issue than plant theft, livestock theft, cold-calling and burglaries, so it’s extremely important that we, as a group, come together to highlight how serious we treat the matter across Northern Ireland.
“We know from our work with victims of crime that every incident has an impact on individuals, their families and the entire community, so our work continues with those affected by rural crime, in a bid to prevent and detect crime, whilst apprehending criminals who seek to target rural communities in both Northern Ireland and across the border.”
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