Avoid a Nightmare before Christmas

With Christmas right around the corner, now’s a prime time for opportunistic thieves. Statistics provided by UKCrimeStats show that each year around December, leading into January, the total crime rates reach their peak. With the darker nights rolling in and more and more people going back to the office post COVID, intruders are able to operate under the cover of darkness and make the most of your carefully selected Christmas presents.

Here are our top tips on how to keep your presents under the tree this Christmas, where they belong.

Most thieves like to operate undetected, so by fitting a motion-activated Floodlight Camera or general security lighting near key entry points is a great way of eliminating any outdoor hiding spots. The Yale Floodlight Camera works as a two-in-one deterrent, enabling you to startle any opportunistic and capturing footage of them in the process, should they try their luck. As our brightest security light to date, you have access to a number of different light settings to best suit your security needs, including 10m night vision, and it also features a 110dB siren.

Once your presents are bought, wrapped and looking pretty, it’s natural to want to pop them straight under the Christmas tree. But, for your more expensive and sentimental presents, consider hiding these from plain sight. Especially if your tree can be seen from the outside, you’re essentially allowing thieves to window shop and provides temptation to burglars who will most likely know or think they’re of value. Instead, you could look to store these in a maximum security safe until the big day comes.

Going away or visiting family over Christmas? Be sure to plan ahead. Try to avoid having any parcels delivered whilst you’re away and cancel any newspaper or milk subscriptions, as this can be a tell-tale sign that your home is empty. See if you can ask a family member or neighbour to collect any letters too, as this could be another indication to thieves that no one is about.

Alternatively, you could look to invest in a Yale Smart Delivery Box, allowing for your parcels and/or any letters to be delivered safely, securely locked up and easy retrieve when you arrive home. Lost parcels are now a thing of the past.

If you’re thinking of hiding are spare house key under your doormat or flowerpot, don’t. Instead, why not consider leaving your spare key with a family member or trusted neighbour? Alternatively, you can eliminate the need for keys altogether with the Yale Smart Door Lock range. Dependent on what type of lock you opt for, you can have the freedom and flexibility to unlock your door directly with your smartphone when using the compatible app, share virtual keys with loved ones if/when needed and receive real-time notifications in the event that your door is unlocked unexpectedly.

After the big day, make sure to quickly dispose of any boxes or packaging and avoid letting them be easily seen. Particularly for expensive electrical items, this could serve as an advertisement to burglars, showing that you have these items in your home that are just waiting to be taken. We recommend breaking down the packaging as much as possible and keep it indoors until you’re ready to take it to the recycling centre or when it’s bin day.

We hope these tips are helpful in making you feel more secure at home this Christmas. For more advice or to browse our full product range, visit our website. Merry Christmas!