Keep Homes and Packages Safe this Holiday Season
New Ring Study reveals New Zealanders aren’t taking measures to keep their homes or packages safe this holiday season
• Almost 8 in 10 (79%) of
New Zealanders plan to visit family and friends this
Christmas/holiday season and half (50%) plan to go on a
holiday/vacation
• Close to 1 in 4 (23%) New Zealanders
believe that their home is likely or extremely likely to be
broken into around Christmas for presents, electronics and
other valuables
• Almost 5 in 10 New Zealanders (48%)
don’t have a home security system at home
Ring, the
leader in home security, has released its Christmas 2017
Study, revealing that New Zealanders are not taking
precautions to prevent home break-ins and package theft
around the Christmas holidays.
According to the YouGov
survey of over 500 New Zealanders commissioned by Ring,
almost half of New Zealanders (48%) don’t have a security
system at home, with those aged 25-34 (61%), more unlikely
to have a security system, leaving their home vulnerable to
break-ins, with locked windows and doors doing little to
deter today’s thieves.
“It’s concerning that
younger New Zealanders who could have a young family, are
less likely to have a security system to protect them at
home. With a mission to reduce crime in neighbourhoods, Ring
is committed to better educating New Zealanders of the
reality of not having a home security system in place,
especially around the holiday season. With a variety of
outdoor cameras and smart video doorbells — the newest
being Ring Video Doorbell 2 and Ring Spotlight Cam — Ring
offers more home security solutions in New Zealand than ever
before and we will not stop working until every neighborhood
burglary and theft is eliminated,” said Mark Fletcher,
Ring APAC Managing Director.
Furthermore, of the 8 in
10 New Zealanders (80%) that plan to visit family and
friends this holiday season, almost half (47%) of them
don’t have a home security system, and of the half (50%)
of those that plan to go on a holiday/vacation 43 per cent
don’t have a home security system. This should cause some
concern with close to 1 in 4 (23 per) New Zealanders saying
that it is likely or extremely likely that their homes will
be broken into in and around Christmas.
What’s more,
many New Zealanders are not considering to review their home
security anytime soon. Whilst 39 per cent plan to binge
watch TV/streaming service, 68 per cent plan to clean and
organise their home, and 64 per cent plan to bake or cook at
home this holiday season, only 13 per cent plan to review
the security/condition of security systems in their
home.
Aside from break-ins, New Zealanders are also
not taking precautions for package theft, which has become a
more common occurrence in the past few years with the boom
of online Christmas sale shopping, like Black Friday. Out of
the 61 per cent of New Zealanders that plan to shop for
Christmas/ holiday presents online and have them delivered
to their home this year, only 10 per cent have either a
smart home security system or CCTV to monitor their delivery
have. This means the vast majority of New Zealanders having
Christmas/holiday presents delivered to their home could be
easy victims for package thieves, who often follow postal
workers until they make their delivery. Interestingly, 28
per cent of people planning to order Christmas presents
online, already believe that they are extremely likely or
likely to experience mail and package theft.
The
heartbreaking crime that New Zealanders really need to look
out for this December is front yard Christmas decoration
theft, with delinquents impulsively grabbing cherished,
outdoor decorations. From the 16 per cent of New Zealanders
that plan to decorate the front yard for Christmas, close to
a third (32%) believe that it is extremely likely or likely
that they will experience front yard decoration
theft.
To prevent break-ins and thefts this Christmas,
Ring has five tips for New Zealand
homeowners:
1. Eliminate hiding spots
- Thick shrubbery and tall plants are great ways to
provide some extra privacy for you and your home but, they
also provide great hiding spots for burglars lurking in your
yard. So make sure your yard is always trimmed and fully
visible from the street and light up any dark spots around
your yard, the Ring Floodlight Camera is a good option for
this.
2. Secure Your Front Door -
When given the choice between breaking a window or
kicking down a door, the majority of burglars prefer to kick
down doors, so If you have any exterior doors that are
hollow wood, consider replacing them with a metal or solid
wood door, which are much more difficult to kick down. Also
think about getting a smart Video Doorbell like Ring so you
can see anyone that comes to your door and deter them from
breaking in or stealing a package.
3. Move
your Christmas tree away from the window -
Christmas trees look amazing but if you are one to put your
presents out early, just make sure your Christmas tree is
not easily viewable from a window as thieves often prey on
homes where they can see easy items they can
steal.
4. Leave a Radio or TV On -
One of the best ways to prevent a home break-in is
to make it seem like someone is at home, so plug in your
Radio or TV to a smart plug so you can control when they
turn on from your smartphone. This way you can avoid high
energy bills from leaving them on 24/7 and make it not so
obvious that you are away by making the times they turn on
irregular.
5. Social Media Bragging -
Social media oversharing could leave your home vulnerable to
break-in - pictures of your getaway destination are perfect
for digital-savvy thieves to see you aren’t home. Wait
until you return home before talking about it on social
media, and if you absolutely need to share your plans, do it
with a private group of people you can
trust.
ends