There were rumours when the credit crunch began to bite that we would soon experience an increase in crime across the country. History suggests that as people begin to feel the pinch, some turn to burglary in order to supplement their income.
Accordingly the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, is holding what she calls a “burglary summit” for England and Wales. As part of this summit she will meet members from the law enforcement community, insurance firms, charities that support elderly people, and even DIY stores in order to try and find some solutions. In addition the government is launching a crime prevention campaign, ranging from warning people about the dangers of burglary, to leaving notices on cars asking that valuables be kept out of site to passers-by.
Ms Smith agreed that in previous recessions the burglary rates had risen, but that there was nothing “inevitable about it”. The figures, however, suggest that crime is on the rise, though it can by no means be categorized as a crime wave just yet. Home burglaries in England and Wales increased by 4% between July and September of last year compared with the same period the year before, reaching 69,000 break-ins at home during the three-month period and representing the first rise in seven years.
Ms Smith’s “burglary summit” is focused on finding ways of limiting opportunities for burglars, and includes representatives from the Neighbourhood Watch. It will also be backed by a special fund that is aimed at helping people with low income to improve their home security. People are also being told that take a three-minute test on the Home Office website about their own home security, at the end of which they will be informed of their own security level and how best to improve it.
One of the crimes that is growing particularly quickly is that of “car key burglary”. This is when someone breaks into a house particularly to steal the car keys as many modern cars cannot be stolen without the keys. According to the Association of Chief Police Officers this kind of targeted theft now accounts for nearly 10% of all burglaries.
The government further advised people to make sure that their home insurance is up-to-date and accurately reflects the value of the contents of their house. Some statistics have suggested that people are choosing not to renew insurance policies in order to save money during the recession, but insurance does not have to be expensive. Particularly with the severe weather in Britain at the moment it is vital to have a good policy, if you don’t have a policy or are reaching renewal time take a look at a company like Co-Operative Insurance for great value home insurance deals at the moment.