The Most Commonly Stolen Items in Home Burglaries and How to Protect Them

Have you ever taken a moment to look around your home or property and think about the value of the things inside? Whether they are on display and easy to spot and identify with a quick glance? A startling number of Australian households have experienced a burglary and an even larger number some form of theft from their property if not a full home invasion.
In this article, we will take a look at the most common items stolen in a burglary and give our best suggestions on how to protect them and force potential thieves to look elsewhere.

Home security system

First things first: Almost all the issues on this list can be nullified with a quality, high-tech home security system. It will act as a huge deterrent for people with bad intentions and offers great peace of mind as well as protecting your family and valuables. Smart Security has all the knowledge, experience, and equipment you need to protect yourself and your belongings, making them much less attractive for those who would love nothing more than to relieve you of them.
Here are some of the most common items stolen in a burglary and some tips on protecting them.

Most common items stolen in a burglary

1. Cash and wallets

Cash represents the best-case scenario for any thief, being untraceable and immediately useable. Never leave cash lying around near exterior doors or in obvious places like kitchen tops and shelving near the doors.
Wallets are another high-value target for thieves, potentially filled with cash and bonus cards and other goodies they can use. The last thing you want is to have to cancel your bank cards and inform the authorities your driver’s licence has been stolen. Protect your wallet carefully, carrying it with you when you leave the house and keeping it in a secure, non-obvious place when at home.

• A safe is the best place to keep any excess cash, wallets, passports, and other important, irreplaceable items.

2. Jewellery

Finding jewellery is a great result for burglars and they will always be on the lookout for expensive, portable items with inherent value. Easy to take away and sell quickly, any kind of precious metals, gemstones, rings, and watches will be high on their list to get their hands on, so don’t make it easy for them.

• Find creative places to hide jewellery no thief would normally think to look.

3. Prescription drugs

Prescription drugs are a huge target for thieves, whether they want to simply get high themselves, or sell them for profit. Over-the-counter medications are not as attractive and are easily replaced, but prescription ones are less so. Store in a lockable medicine cabinet that may deter casual investigation or alternately keep prescription drugs out of sight if possible.

4. Smart devices and electronics

From the easiest-to-pocket handheld devices to huge flat-screen televisions, no electronics are safe against determined burglars unless you make life extremely difficult for them. Keep smaller devices with you or have safe locations where you leave them when not in use. Be mindful of open doors and windows. While pre-meditated burglaries are most likely to occur in your absence, opportunist thieves will strike if they see a phone left unattended by an open access point.

• Register any devices and electronics where possible. It will make the chances of proving they are yours and recovering them much higher should they happen to be found or appear for sale online
• Affix security and other stickers to items, also marking them in other recognisable ways if appropriate
• Photograph each item and its unique serial numbers/stickers/markings

5. Cars and motorbikes

We’ve all heard about thieves reaching through a letterbox with a coat hanger to fish your car keys off the table, and we now have a trend of people cloning automatic key fobs. As with any cash and wallets, it is inadvisable to leave your keys in such an obvious, accessible location at any time. If you are out when thieves break in, and your car or motorbike keys are just sitting there, you can be fairly sure the vehicle will also be gone when you return.

6. Bicycles

Chief on the list of items stolen from the exterior of properties or adjoining garages and sheds are bicycles. They are a magnet for thieves, holding value well and being easy to sell. Opportunist thieves may see your bike left unattended as you open the door and head in briefly to take off your bag and coat. Because bikes are fast, they are both the target and the getaway vehicle. Always look around and take note of any lurking individuals before leaving your bike unlocked, even for a few seconds.

• Lock your bicycle to something immovable with the sturdiest lock available, removing any detachable items like the seat and quick-release wheels and chaining them to the frame if possible.
• Block shed windows or cover bikes and other valuable items inside to prevent curious eyes from seeing them.

7. Personal documents

In the modern world, stolen identities are a very real and dangerous threat with potentially dire consequences and guaranteed inconvenience at best. Whether by leaving ID cards, passports, and other forms of identification for burglars to take or failing to protect yourself sufficiently online, identity theft is not to be taken lightly.

Other sought-after items

• Furniture and artwork
• Clothing and shoes
• Guitars and other musical instruments
• Tools

Additional tips for protecting yourself and your property

There are plenty of ways to protect your personal items in the event of a home burglary. Here are some tips:

• Invest in comprehensive property insurance
• If your security system lacks them, install aftermarket motion sensor floodlights outside
• Photograph all valuables and essential paperwork/documents
• Secure smaller items in a sturdy safe
• Destroy sensitive documents if no longer needed

Contact us

One of the best steps to mitigate this risk is to speak with a professional, reputable home security systems specialist in Perth and discuss your exact security requirements with them. If you have any questions or comments, contact Smart Security today and let us give you our best advice and guidance.