UK Burglaries are predicted to be on the increase in 2012 due to the difficult financial situation and the unprecedented number of celebrations in the national calendar. The home insurance provider AXA has labelled 2012 a ‘year of risk’, because they predict a significant rise in home insurance claims this year.
This predicted increase in home theft insurance claims is attributed to a combination of factors, including the difficulties of the British economy and the unprecedented number of large-scale events happening this year, including the Diamond Jubilee, Olympics and Euro 2012. This unusual combination of large-scale celebrations, national debt and financial difficulty, is predicted to lead to more thefts and damage in the home – and thus more claims on home insurance.
Why would the Queen’s Jubilee cause a burglary?
AXA’s research has shown that when family and friends get together for events in the home, the risk of loss or damage increases by up to 78%. The answer isn’t to take the family away from home, however, as statistics also show that when people leave their home to attend events, thefts can also increase by up to 24%.
49% of people are planning a get together for the Olympics, an equal number of people intend to celebrate Euro 2012 and over 40% of people are looking forward to celebrating the Diamond Jubilee – this translates into a significant number of people who may be out of the house or celebrating at home. There are therefore a significant number of homes at risk of theft.
Tweet Tweet
Social media also has an increased role to play in the risks associated with public celebrations; whilst you may think nothing of telling Twitter friends what your are doing on the bank holiday weekend, you could also be telling an audience of would-be thieves that you’re not going to be at home.
Police limitations
Police resources will be stretched during the Olympics, which means that home security and theft might not receive the attention it deserves. Police will be mostly concentrating on the large scale threats of the crowds of people descending on the Olympic Park or getting rowdy over Euro 2012. Homeowners must therefore take precautions around securing their homes and planning ahead for leaving their home unattended.
Desperate thieves
Opportunistic thieves may well make the most of the reduced police force resources and the increased number of people out of the house or distracted by celebrations; it only takes one window to be left open for an opportunistic thief to ruin any celebrations. Unfortunately, the tough financial times that everyone has been experiencing have been profoundly expressed in the increased number of thefts. In a time when everyone is hanging onto what they’ve got, there are those who choose to steal because they feel they have nothing.
You should ensure that your summer of celebrations are not ruined by a home theft, by securing your home, windows and doors, and by investing in home insurance in case you are a victim of theft.
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