According to a recent report from The Telegraph, official statistics released by the Home Office have revealed that there were 56,220 property break-ins reported across the Greater London area in 2014. Here we take a closer look at some of these figures, and discover London’s burglary hotspots.
As outlined in the article, in the first 9 months of 2014 the City of London experienced a whopping 169 residential and commercial property burglaries per square kilometre. The highest level recorded for any borough within the greater London constituency. These high burglary rates are likely related, at least in part, to the high density of office spaces within this borough. Offices can provide plenty of opportunities for burglars and are often seen as easy pickings.
The borough with the second highest burglary rates was Islington, with 119 break-ins per square kilometre between January and September of last year. Completing the round up of the top 5 most burgled London boroughs were Westminster, Hackney, and Camden.
There are a number of key factors though to contribute to the high levels of crime in these areas, such as the density of housing, high population levels, hardship, and opportunism.
At the other end of the scale, the boroughs with the least recorded burglaries included Havering, Bromley, Hillingdon and Bexley.
Whilst it’s a commonly held belief that burglars typically target more affluent areas, these latest figures have also revealed that wealthy areas are not always the most commonly targeted. Based on these figures analysts have concluded that there is no clear correlation between property values and burglary rates.
The majority of crimes such as burglary, are actually mostly opportunistic, and criminals tend to choose what they believe to be the easiest looking target. Reducing potential opportunities for burglars is essential for keeping your premises safe. For example, it can often be a good idea to hide any particularly valuable stock you have on your premises. Identifying any weaknesses in the exterior of your property is also vital, and there are a range of security solutions available, such as security doors, and burglar bars, that can help strengthen potential entrances, like doors and windows.
Here at Abacus Shutters we are an established provider of a range of security solutions including security shutters in London and can help keep you and your property safe. For more information about our fantastic range of products and services please do not hesitate to contact us today by giving us a call on 0845 644 1225 and a member of our expert team will be happy to assist you with your enquiries.
