"It's easy to become a target for burglars when you're away," says Lina Nilsson, advisory expert at SSF Stöldskyddsföreningen, in a press release.
The organization points to figures from the Crime Prevention Council (Brå) which show that 28 burglaries were reported to the police per day in the country in February last year.
Burglaries often occur during the day when no one is at home. But during holidays, weekends, and holidays when many homes are empty, they occur more frequently in the evening, when the thief is less visible.
Although the number of reported incidents decreased in the country as a whole last year, in regions defined by Brå as Stockholm, Väst, and Öst, they increased, for example, in villas and semi-detached houses.
In villas, thieves usually gain entry through a window or patio door, while in apartments, they target mail slots and use a so-called lock pick.
Last year, the most stolen items were jewelry, watches, cash, and computers.
If you don't have a Neighborhood Watch, tell your neighbors that you're going away and ask them to keep an eye on your home, empty the mailbox, and shovel snow.
Lock all windows and doors with certified locks, including patio doors. For apartments, a security mailbox or lockable mailbox is recommended.
Use timers to turn lights on and off at different times. This makes it harder to determine if and when you're at home.
Install motion-sensitive outdoor lighting around the house and on the property.
Alarms are a good complement to Neighborhood Watch and certified locks.
Don't tidy up. It looks like you're at home or just away for a short while.
Source: SSF Stöldskyddsföreningen
