Break-ins to homes become more frequent as summer approaches. Burglars target homes left vacant due to the winter holidays, particularly if the house or flat appears to be vacant. Paying attention to how your home looks when you leave for a holiday is really worth the effort.
Chief Superintendent Jyrki Aho of the National Police Board points out that the duty of care, in other words, double locking your door, can suffice to prevent a burglary.
“Well-functioning locks and alarms provide good, additional protection against break-ins. Thieves avoid them, as they do lighting during the dark hours of the day,” says Jyrki Aho.
Aho comments that ringing the doorbell is a simple method used by criminals to ensure that they can work in peace. Take a good look at anyone asking for an address or enquiring after a lost dog, so that you can identify this person afterwards if homes in your area are burgled.
Aho advises people to keep their eyes open in their neighbourhoods. You can ask a stranger who they are and what they are doing in the area, particularly if you see unknown persons in strange places.
It is a good idea to tip off the police about any suspicious characters and to give descriptions of them. Police e-mail addresses and telephone numbers for tips are available online at http://poliisi.fi/rikokset/vihjepuhelinluettelo.
However, if an emergency occurs, if a criminal act is in progress or if you notice that your home has been broken into when you return, telephone emergency number 112 at once.
Hit and run crime on the increase
According to Jyrki Aho, the numbers of hit-and-run criminals, moving from one place to another very quickly, has increased in Finland. These offenders arrive in Finland, commit crimes and leave promptly after the series of crimes has been completed.
“Around a hundred cases of aggravated house burglary have been reported so far in 2017. Of these, almost half have targeted homes in blocks of flats, mainly in southern Finland. In many cases, there are no visible signs of forced entry. Crime scene investigation often reveals that there was no double lock or it was not used, says Aho.
Investigating such crimes afterwards is challenging for the police, which is why prevention is better. The police urge people to check the functioning of locks and to draw up a list of their valuables – with photographs – so that the right information can be given to the police if necessary.
“If your home is broken into, remember not to examine and tamper with the traces of burglary. They are vital to a successful police investigation,” says Jyrki Aho.
The number of property break-ins has almost doubled in 10 years. Of these, a quarter take place in the metropolitan area and about one half are committed by foreign criminals.
