The threats are real

Although generally considered safe, Britain is far from being an oasis of tranquillity. London and the affluent southern counties are particularly exposed.

High net worth individuals and wealthy areas with high-value properties have always been especially attractive targets for thieves and burglars. Recent cuts to police resourcing and a reduction in custodial sentencing have only exacerbated this. From June 2021 to May 2022, over a hundred burglaries were reported at SW1X, which includes Knightsbridge and Belgravia (ukcrimestats.com). Compared with a population of 6,500 in this postcode, this means at least three percent of the resident families have suffered burglaries just within twelve months…

The problems are by no means limited to affluent London addresses. Country estates are sometimes even more exposed than London houses because of their rural location, with fewer people around to report suspicious activity.

Nationally, the picture is equally troubling: between October 2020 and September 2021, nearly 260,000 burglaries were recorded nationwide, sixty per cent of those being residential and over 180,000 being outside London.

Overview of main crime types¹ ² in England and Wales: year ending September 2021

England and Wales

Offence	Number of incidents/ offences ³	Source
Violence	1,846,000	TCSEW/CSEW
Homicide	666	PRC
Knife or sharp instruments	46,239	PRC
Theft	2,950,000	TCSEW/CSEW
Burglary	258,594	PRC
Vehicle offences	342,627	PRC
Robbery	61,486	PRC
Fraud	5,114,000	TCSEW/CSEW
Computer misuse	1,869,000	TCSEW/CSEW

Source

Office for National Statistics – Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) and the Telephone-operated Crime Survey for England and Wales (TCSEW), Home Office - Police recorded crime (PRC)

Notes

1. Police recorded crime data are not designated as National Statistics.

2. Data from the Telephone-operated Crime Survey for England and Wales are published as Experimental Statistics, which are in the testing phase and not yet fully developed.

3. These estimates best reflect the current extent of crime but are not directly comparable with CSEW estimates because of changes to the TCSEW sample and questionnaire.

In addition to the theft of valuable objects, data theft and identity theft have emerged in recent years as significant new threats.

Most importantly, a significant number of household burglaries now involve risks to the personal safety of the occupants.

With criminals becoming more sophisticated, violent and daring all the time, having a simple CCTV and alarm at a high-value home is no longer sufficient.

Home and personal security
needs an integral solution, addressing and preventing all possible threats from data theft through to a violent intrusion. This is what we do.

OUR OFFICE

Lutyens Building, Kingsland Business Park, Bilton Road, Basingstoke, RG24 8LJ, United Kingdom