Beating burglary together: Lock up, light up

Protect your home as the nights draw in by locking up and leaving a light on to imply that someone is home.

Our darker nights advice comes to you as part of our Beating Burglary Together campaign which sets out our commitment to give an insight into how we tackle burglary, raise awareness of where incidents are happening and to provide crime prevention and security advice. This campaign focuses on areas of risk and we know that a dark home can increase that risk. In October 2022, burglary offences in Lincolnshire peaked with 202 offences recorded – against an monthly average of 137.

Detective Chief Inspector Jo Fortune, Force lead for burglary, said, “When the evenings are dark, it’s a gift to burglars. They can make an assumption that a home without lights on in the early evening is unoccupied. They will pick that one over another where there’s an indication that residents are at home. If you leave a light on, or have a light set on a timer switch, you reduce that risk of an opportunist burglar targeting your home.”

As previously reported, we have investigated a spate of burglaries where car keys have been targeted in order to steal a car. Det Chief Insp Fortune emphasised, “If you keep your keys out of reach and out of sight, that’s another incentive removed and a simple way to lower your risk of having your home broken into and your car stolen. We have examples where keys were fished out through letterboxes or open windows – this can’t happen if you get in the habit of keeping them well away from your door and out of sight.”

Crime prevention recommendations

• Consider if your lock needs upgrading to a professionally fitted anti-snap lock. You can find a local locksmith on the Master Locksmiths Association website.  
• We recommend Immobilise where you can log your valuables and record serial numbers – this helps in our investigations and means you are more likely to get your property back if it’s stolen.
• By becoming part of your local Neighbourhood Watch, you’ll be joining other like-minded neighbours who, by keeping their eyes and ears open, help to keep potential criminals out of the area. 
• For more information about reducing your risk of burglary, visit our website section on crime prevention.