© 2025 News On The Block. All rights reserved.
News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.
© 2025 News On The Block. All rights reserved.
News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.
Daren Wood, Northern Regional general manager at the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), looks at the ways that homeowners can protect their flats and why resident groups should be taking a holistic approach to security.
The security of our homes and the environment in which we live is important to us all. If a person’s home is broken into, it is often emotional trauma, rather than material loss, that causes most harm. Few things receive the personal effort and loving care that we put into our homes, so the experience of returning to find everything we have worked for violated by outsiders can be a shocking one. Given the prevalence of such events it is odd that so many of us fail to take adequate precautions.
Basic security measures can counteract the risk of burglary, as they ensure the criminal has a number of hurdles before they can enter your home. It is proven that security can make a real impact. Figures from this year’s British Crime Survey show that households with no home security measures are almost 10 times more likely to be victims of burglary than households with simple security measures in place.
Physical security measures such as a quality lock and door will provide protection to the entrance of your home and should be sourced from a professional company. A basic, monitored intruder alarm will be a further deterrent to entering a property and will alert a monitoring centre if an alarm is activated. Ensuring that your possessions are marked with a property marking system and registered on a secure database will mean if a burglary takes place and your possessions are recovered, they can be returned to you.
For residents of blocks of flats, ensuring the security of the communal areas and grounds is imperative. Protecting the perimeter of the grounds by installing quality fencing or gates is one option. Installing effective security lighting is essential. Some areas will need to be lit permanently, whereas others would benefit from lighting that is triggered when an individual approaches the area. The installation of CCTV also should be considered. Systems can be set up to monitor the grounds and the communal areas, and can be monitored remotely at a specialist Remote Video Response Centre, where any incident that occurs can be responded to immediately.
On the building itself, an access control system could be fitted to ensure unauthorised personnel are not permitted to enter the premises. Visitors would buzz through to the flat they are visiting to gain access. Some resident groups also have employed the services of security guarding companies to patrol the grounds and buildings and respond to any incident that occurs.
The key is to make sure that all security measures have been sourced from professional companies that provide quality products and services.
The BSIA website provides details of member companies that comply with relevant British and European Standards. Search for a member at www.bsia.co.uk/companyfinder. For more information on home security visit www.bsia.co.uk/backtobasics.
The British Security Industry Association is the trade association covering all aspects of the professional security industry in the UK. Its 570 members provide more than 70% of UK security products and services and adhere to strict quality standards. For more information see www.bsia.co.uk, email info@bsia.co.uk or telephone 0845 389 3889.