If you’re looking for ways to burglar proof your home, there’s probably no bigger authority on the subject than the Neighbourhood Watch group.
According to Neighbourhood Watch, properties with the WIDE security combination ‑ Window locks, Indoor lights on a timer, Door double or deadlocks and External lights on a timer or sensor – are nearly 50 times more protected from burglary than those with no security.
So I’ll break down what Neighbourhood Watch say in this quick article, looking specifically at the WIDE principle.
Below is a handy table of contents. Clicking on any of the headings will bring you straight to the piece of content you want to read.
Table of Contents
Burglar Proof Your Home
If you’re a homeowner, and you are looking for ways to burglar proof your home, give yourself a big pat on the back.
So many homeowners don’t take any responsibility for the security of their homes until it’s too late – a lot of the times they’ll come to sites like this being reactive rather than proactive (If you have just been the victim of burglary, do follow this simple burglary checklist).
Whether you’re being reactive or proactive, you are now taking home security seriously and are looking to take steps to reduce the chances of your home being burgled.
And taking it seriously means a minimum of W.I.D.E, meaning:
When we break it down, it’s easy to see why they are using this acronynm – it’s all about deter and defend.
Which is a little different to my own personal views, because as someone who has worked in all aspects of security over the last 18 years, this is a good start, but nowhere near as comprehensive as it should be.
In fact, it has been publicised like this to keep things simple – and it really is the absolute minimum standard when it comes to home security.
If you read my article titled 75 Ways To Improve Home Security, you’ll see that there is much, much more that can be practically impemented to not only deter, but to detect as well as deny.
But let’s go through each aspect of the WIDE initiative, and see how if you reach minimum standards when it comes to burglar proofing your home.
Window Locks Installed
I’ve labelled this as a defensive security measure, because these window locks are a last line of defence. All other security measures have been defeated, and burglars are now at your windows trying to gain entry.
Some of the older type of UPVC windows are incredibly easy to force, especially if they are old and the material has degraded over the years with all elements battering them.
Naturally, over time, the material is going to gbecome weaker, which is a possible weak spot when it comes to home security.
So when they talk about window locks, they mean additional locks on your windows to improve the security effectiveness of the locks that are already on.
You can see more about window locks in our guide on 75 Ways To Improve Home Security.
Interior Lights On Timer
This is the best type of security – an active deterrent that will deter a criminal from even entering the boundary of your property – or on enetering, they leave quickly on finding the deterrent.
Interior lights are SO important to home security, because nothing says ‘come and burgle me’ more than a house that is in pitch darkness for an extended period of time.
If you live in a household where family members are out often in hours of darkness, or you leave your property unattended for long periods if you are away for weekend breaks or holidays, then you absolutely need lights on a timer.
It’s not just for security purposes either.
Coming home to a home that’s in darkness is not pleasant – it’s far nicer to come home to a well lit home – it feels warmer and safer.
So go and grab yourself a smart solution for your interior lighting – again – it’s not expensive, but has a large impact on the security of your home.
You can see more about interior lighting in our guide on 75 Ways To Improve Home Security.
Door Double Or Deadlocks
This is a defensive type of security measure, because it means the criminal is already at your door attempting to break in.
You’re in trouble when it gets to this point, make no mistake about it – that’s why the deterrent part of home security is so vital.
But in this area, they recommend having additional security on your doors, or a door with a deadlock on it.
I discuss various locking mechanisms in these posts here:
- Best Patio Door Locks
- What Is A Jammer
- How To Make Patio Doors More Secure
- How To improve The Security of Your Front Door
Exterior Lights On Sensor
Again, this is a great deterent.
Consider these two scenarios.
A: An intruder eneters the grounds of your property, jumps over a wall and is now at your rear patio door in pitch darkness.
B: An intruder eneters the grounds of your property and as soon as they do, the pathway motion sensor lights illuminate them against the dark night.
Who is more likely to turn back around, and exit your property in fear of lights lighting them up like a Christmas tree on the way to a door or window of your property?
Exterior lights don’t have to be expensive. Yes, the preferred method is lights on mains electrics (for reliability purposes), but this can be costly and you’d need an electrician to install them.
A budget method is LED solar powered motion sensor lights. Yes, they may need their rechargeable batteries replacing every couple of years, but these lights have come a long way in a short time (I have solar powered lights around my property and they are excellent).
So the bottom line is this; some well placed lights around pathwways, gardens and driveways can be the difference between someone entering the grounds of your property and someone discovering you have motion sensor lighting installed, doing a U-turn and leaving your property.
READ ALSO: Best Exterior Security lighting For Your Home
75 Ways To Improve Home Security
If you are serious about your home security and want 75 ways to burglar proof your home, please do take time to go and read my huge article on 75 Ways To Improve Home Security.
It’s a huge article which has many idea’s that you probably haven’t considered – it’s well worth a read, and even if you only implement one or two idea’s, it means your home is a little better protected than before you had read the article.
The link again: 75 Ways To Improve Home Security.
Deter, Detect, Deny?
We’ve looked at the Neighbourhood Watch Principle, but my principle is far more in depth and comprehensive.
I go with the Deter, Detect and Deny principle, which will burglar proof your home in a much more targetted and direct way.
If you want to go a few steps further than what neighbourhood Watch recommends, have a look at deterring, detecting and denying principle and what I say about security layering here.
Start at number 5, and work your way up to number 1, to give yourself the best chance of not becoming another crime statistic.
Links
Here are the links and sources I mention in this article.
Questions & Comments
I always welcome questions and comments from readers – simply leave your question or comment in below.
Let me know if you’ve heard of the WIDE principle. And let me know if you found this article on how to burglar proof your home helpful in any way.
Stay Safe and Secure.
