Most of us may have emerged unscathed from the shopping frenzy that Christmas and the January sales bring, but with many homes sporting new hi-tech gadgets, which are prime pickings for predatory burglars looking to do a little ‘shopping’ of their own, ADT is urging homeowners to take precautionary steps to reduce the chances of being burgled.

Gadgets were typically high on peoples’ most wanted lists at Christmas, with research showing that Apple products, smartphones and 3D televisions featured heavily on letters to Santa. Even if these didn’t appear in our Christmas stockings, a number of us still headed out in the January sales determined to bank a fantastic deal on a games console or the latest tablet. With burglaries increasing by as much as 23% during the winter months, and household budgets still being squeezed, homeowners should take time to consider security.  

Despite overall retail sales being lower than anticipated this season, sales of electricals and home technology are up 4% according to John Lewis and the retailer also saw sales of iPads increase 381% on the previous year . Sales of the Amazon Kindle were also very strong, with one in forty getting one in their Christmas stocking. So, there are now a considerable number of households with an array of new and easily portable gadgetry that will be very appealing to thieves. 

Mark Shaw, General Manager for Residential Business at ADT Fire and Security, said: “We all love getting gifts or heading out to treat ourselves, but it is really important that people take steps to protect their purchases by not advertising the fact that they have new high value items in their homes. Televisions, DVD players or games consoles and so on all come in large boxes. Putting these out for collection is like placing an advert telling burglars where they can go for their own ‘shopping’ spree. 

"It is also important that people give greater consideration to the fact that many gadgets are getting smaller, lighter and more portable. Whilst this is great for usage, it also means they are much easier and quicker for thieves to get away with.” ADT’s top tips for home security this January: 

1) Don’t advertise the fact that you have brand new high-value, easy to carry items in your home by putting out the packaging for refuse collection. Break it down for recycling or take it directly to the local refuse site instead 

2) Don’t leave your mobile, wallet or tablet lying around in plain sight. These are prime targets for burglars as they are easy to carry and relatively high-value items 

3) Undertake a general home security check. Look at door and window locks to make sure they can be properly secured 

4) Use timer switches to make your home look occupied, especially in the morning and early evening when you may be at work 

5) For additional protection, install a monitored alarm from ADT. Home Office stats have shown that 84% of burglars avoid homes with an alarm system installed . 

Mark Shaw continues: “It is really important that homeowners take these very simple and easy steps to make their homes less attractive to burglars. For those who want complete peace of mind and to truly help to protect their homes, they can look at installing a monitored alarm from ADT which ensures 24/7 protection, 365 days a year.”