Probably all of us keep some valuable items at home. Storing jewellery, money, stamp and coin collections or artwork can be a hassle if you don't have a safe. Other items, although they may not represent much value, can be valuable for other reasons. These include data carriers with confidential information, family heirlooms and documents. Find out where you can safely store your jewellery and valuables. In this article you will also learn how thieves choose their victims and what to do to avoid being robbed.
How to store jewellery so that it cannot be found by a thief?
Jewellery is usually stored in decorative boxes and caskets. Such hiding places are very easy to recognise, find and get into.
Gold earrings, rings and necklaces are usually things we like to boast about. However, they should not be left in plain sight or stored in ordinary household cupboards.
Once inside the house, a thief will quickly open all the cupboards. Decorative boxes catch the eye and fall prey to a robber. If you keep your jewellery in a casket, hide it in an unusual place.
A cosmetic cabinet or a decorative cupboard are not good places to store jewellery. These places are searched by thieves first. If you don't have a safe, you can put your valuables, for example, in a double-bottomed drawer or behind a hidden door. However, the most sensible solution is to buy a safe.
How do thieves act before breaking into houses and flats?
In Poland there are about 100,000 burglaries into flats and houses every year. Thieves are getting smarter and bolder. They don't care about monitoring, because all they need is a balaclava and nobody will recognise them.
Unfortunately, the penalties for theft do not deter thieves, because rarely does a robber get the maximum sentence in court. The Penal Code for robbery provides for a sentence from 3 months to 5 years imprisonment (article 278, § 1 of the Penal Code). Low penalties only encourage burglaries.
If you want to be safe, it's a good idea to learn the methods of thieves. Burglars do not usually break in without preparation. Before a robbery, the house is observed even for several weeks. The thief must learn the habits of the household members and the layout of the rooms.
Thieves often work in groups and have their own sign system which they use to communicate. They mark houses, showing which target is worthy of attention and in which there is nothing of value.
A robber uses methods such as:
● sealing the lock with tape,
● scattering coins outside the entrance,
● spreading sand on the doormat.
If the footprints do not disappear, the burglar is certain that the owners are not there and that no one will catch him ransacking the house.
See also: How to secure your home against theft over the Christmas period?
Will buying a good safe effectively protect against theft?
What should a good safe look like? Does it have to be big and have thick walls? Not necessarily. First of all, it should meet the anti-burglary requirements set out in Polish and European standards. Only a safe with a security certificate will effectively protect your property.
Do not buy the cheapest safes sold in supermarkets without a certificate! Such hides may look solid but they are not suitable for storing jewellery. A certified safe has a rating plate which indicates its burglary resistance class.
However, buying a safe is not everything. If you want to feel safer, install monitoring and a burglar alarm. Such security measures deter thieves and in the event of a burglary will help the police catch the perpetrator. The sound of an alarm, if it does not frighten off a thief, will certainly make his visit to your house much shorter.
What to look for when choosing a safe to store your jewellery?
A safe with a security certificate is the safest place to store your jewellery. The only thing that remains is the choice of a model. It is worth betting on a larger strongbox. A large amount of space will allow you to store other valuable items as well.
Consider buying a wall safe. Such a solution guarantees that a thief who will not be able to open the lock will not take the whole safe. Unfortunately, installing this model requires a wall of sufficient thickness. Therefore, consider installing a safe even at the design stage of your house.
When buying a safe, you should also pay attention to the type of lock. You have a choice between:
● a key lock,
● a lock with a knob,
● an electronic lock with a numeric keypad or a fingerprint.
Still wondering how to store your jewellery? Ideas may vary, but the safest way is to get a certified safe. Such a purchase will not only allow you to store your jewellery, but also to deposit cash and important documents. Do not wait and contact our specialists today.
