Burglary & break-ins · 4 min read
The clocks go back.
Burglaries go up.
Every autumn the same thing happens: the evenings get dark by five, empty houses become obvious, and burglary reports climb through November and December. Here's why, and the three things to do before it bites.
18 burglaries were reported within a mile of Wolverhampton centre last month. See the full picture →
Why autumn
A house with no lights on at 6pm in October is telling the street nobody's home. Add earlier darkness for cover, the run-up to Christmas with new purchases inside, and holiday absences, and you get the seasonal spike that police forces warn about every year.
Three things to do this week
- Lights on timers — a lamp in the front room and one upstairs, on smart plugs, coming on at dusk. The cheapest thing on this list and the most effective.
- Check the back. Lock the side gate. Move the bin so it can't be used to climb. Cut back anything that hides the rear of the house from neighbours.
- Make cameras and the alarm obvious. If you've got them, make sure the front camera is visible, the bell box LED works, and night footage is in colour. If you haven't, this is the month it pays for itself.
Going away for Christmas?
See securing your home while you're away — the same checklist, plus who to tell and what to post (or not) on social media.
A three- or four-camera home system with colour night vision and a doorbell is typically a one-day install. Surveys are free — book one.
Your property decides. Not the logo.
Questions
Good to know.
Is the autumn rise real or a myth?
Real — most UK forces report it and publish the same advice each October. Our crime pages show the monthly pattern for each town.
Do smart bulbs help?
Yes, if they're on a schedule that looks lived-in — not the same time every night to the minute.
What about a dark house with a camera?
A camera with a white light that comes on when it sees a person is the best of both: the house looks watched even when it's dark.