As the clocks fall back and the days grow shorter, a dangerous trend occurs. Crime, including robberies, tends to spike when Daylight Saving Time ends.
A Brookings study found that robbery rates increased by 7 percent when Daylight Saving Time ends, and an even larger increase at 27 percent during the evening hour that lost sunlight.
With it getting darker earlier, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings, as you may be more likely to be the victim of a crime especially when you are leaving for work, walking to your car, or heading inside for the evening.
Here are 5 ways to protect you and your property when Daylight Saving Time ends.
Walk to your car with others: Be aware of your surroundings and try not to walk to your car alone. Leave work with coworkers and make sure you get your car safely.
Exterior Lighting: When you return home for the evening, make sure the outside of your home is well lit. Criminals may try to strike in darkness of night, but with a well lit front porch, you’ll make it harder for them to carry out their plans.
Bonus tip: Use automated lighting to conserve energy and make it appear someone is home, even if you aren’t.
Get a Home Security System: Burglars are 300% more likely to target homes that don’t have a home security system. * Consider making an investment to protect you, your family, and property. Plus, with a monitored home security system, someone will always be there for you during an emergency.
Lock Your Doors: Reduce crimes of opportunity by locking doors and windows, including your car doors.
Keep Curtains and Blinds Shut: Another way to reduce crimes of opportunity is by keeping blinds and curtains shut. And don’t leave valuables out in the open where they can be seen through the window.
Invest in Security Cameras: Security cameras can be a very important deterrent to incorporate into your home security system. Not only can they deter criminals, they can also record crimes in progress which can help police catch the perpetrator.
Change the Batteries in Your Emergency Alarms: While unrelated to darker hours, the change of the clocks is always a good reminder and time to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Whether its Daylight Saving or Standard time, its always important to remain vigilant. For more security tips to protect your family and property, visit our blog.
Sources:
Bankrate, “Burglary Statistics 2022”
