You might not have heard about it but when October of 2022 rolls around, that is National Home Security Month (NHSM).
The campaign – which was first launched back in 2013 – offers a timely reminder that static caravans and conventional homes built of bricks and mortar have one major feature in common – they are both potential targets for burglars and other criminals.
Fortunately for the static caravan homeowner, there are some steps you can take to deter these criminals.
A quick review of burglar’s psychology
Far be it from us to delve into the minds of your common or garden burglar or thief, but it might be useful to spare just a moment or two to think about the most likely inclination and attitude of such a criminal.
Put in its simplest of terms, the fact is that the vast majority are opportunists – they are on the outlook for and attuned to spontaneous opportunities to easily access a static caravan in order to steal the contents. And it’s not just any caravan, but your static home.
With that in mind, remember that burglars are always on the lookout for things such as open doors and windows, tools left lying around outside (which might be used to gain entry) and potential access points that appear to have no or only limited security.
Make your security obvious
The Metropolitan Police advise any homeowner – and that includes your static caravan – to keep it visible when it comes to the security measures you’ve taken. The more you make obvious the steps you’ve taken, the more secure your home is likely to be. As opportunists first and foremost, burglars will typically move on, looking for caravans that are more vulnerable – because that means less risk of discovery.
So, it only makes sense to install approved professional locks and bolts on all of your doors and windows and to make sure that you don’t help burglars unintentionally by leaving tools lying around outside that they might otherwise use against those same security bolts.
High-tech solutions
You also have the option of installing (or having installed), solutions involving a combination of burglar alarms and cameras – once again these are also likely to have a visibly deterrent effect.
Burglar alarms have been around for a long time and are now very sophisticated. More recently, cameras and video technology have been added to the armoury of security devices.
Today, the cameras are very small and easy to hide around your caravan. Some devices – such as the range of products retailed by Blink (an Amazon company) – can link directly to the internet and will notify you on your phone if they’ve detected someone moving around your property when it should be empty.
They may even be able to use infrared sensors to detect movement in the dark and to film the intruders!
These types of solutions may be installed on a DIY basis or by a professional security solutions provider. Some providers of more sophisticated solutions might augment their provision of security systems with regular patrols and rapid response services.
Insurance issues
Some static caravan insurance providers may require you to take minimum security precautions as a condition of your insurance cover.
Requirements for you to fit locks and bolts to prescribed minimum standards, for example, might be regularly found in policies. In some cases, policies might also require you to use more advanced solutions and, in some instances, they may also extend specified security conditions to include aspects of the services provided by the owners or management of the site or park on which your static caravan is berthed.
Summary
Few if any static caravan owners would want to consider trying to turn their property into an impenetrable citadel. However, a balance must be struck between avoiding doing so and making it terrifyingly easy for thieves to enter.
The level of the measures you choose to adopt will be driven partly by any requirements that might be specified in your static caravan insurance policy and perhaps the extent to which you wish to ensure that the contents of your static are protected.
If you have any doubts about the potential solutions available to you, it would be worth speaking with a local security specialist with the relevant expertise in keeping intruders at bay.