Always check ID

Burglars don’t always break down the back door or sneak in through a window. Often they will knock on the front door of elderly or vulnerable people and pretend to be officials to gain entry. Utility companies and other organisations instruct their staff to be patient and allow householders to check their ID by phoning special numbers.

Keep your credit cards safe

Although burglary is usually an opportunist crime, it can also be run by organised groups targeting an area. In such cases, it can be the smaller things they are after – like car keys, or credit cards. One man who had been involved in the theft of credit cards from the homes in Cheshire was then using the cards at a cashpoint in Greater Manchester. The machine was not covered by CCTV so police decided to set up their own covert surveillance. When watching months worth of footage, the detectives noticed the same man regularly using it and were eventually able to identify him with the help of officers from another force. He was later charged with a total of nine burglaries.

Use SmartWater

SmartWater is a clear liquid which contains a unique DNA-style code. It is usually used to mark property so if it is found, it can be returned to its owner through the SmartWater database. But it can also be used as part of a burglar alarm to spray offenders, permanently marking them with its code. Suspects are tested for traces of Smartwater on their skin and clothes as they enter custody and now police are widening their net by taking to the streets with the technology to detect the liquid on anyone they stop check.