How To Deal With Burglary And Prevent Break-Ins: Experts Advise

BERLIN (dpa) - The caricature of burglars creeping into houses under the cover of darkness is a fallacy.

The overwhelming majority of home break-ins take place during the day: 80 per cent of burglaries in Germany happen in broad daylight, according to the Association of German Insurers (GDV).

Ninety per cent of break-ins occur when the owner is away. Just a quick trip to the post box or down to the shops gives a burglar enough time to snatch jewellery, cash, cameras or silver.

If you are the victim of a burglary - and there is a break-in every three to five minutes in Germany alone - you should not "try and play hero", said Guenter Franke of the Central Office for Security Technology and Advice.

The burglars may still be in the house, so it is advisable to leave immediately and call the police from a mobile phone or a neighbour's house.

Victims should wait until the police have finished their work before clearing up and taking stock of the damage. Otherwise they might destroy evidence, say experts.

Broken doors or windows should be secured immediately. While windows can usually be temporarily secured without expert help, an emergency locksmith service or carpenter may be necessary to secure doors and French windows, said Berlin carpenter Michael Thiess. These services are usually listed prominently in the telephone book.

More permanent repairs need not mean expensive replacements, said Thiess. Even plastic windows can usually be moulded back to shape.

But worse than the material loss for burglary victims is the psychological damage caused, said German consumer association Stiftung Warentest in Berlin in a special publication on security.

The psychological effects can be as bad as for victims of violent robbery. Both groups feel a similar sense of helplessness, fear, anger and shame.

Stiftung Warenest says solid protection on doors and windows is the best way to prevent break-ins. Extra locks, bolts or roll-down shutters cannot provide 100-per-cent protection, but they are a deterrent because burglars need more time to get past them, therefore increasing their risk of detection.

Alarm systems are no substitute for such solid physical protection, but they are a useful addition to security measures.