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| Who still leaves their door unlocked? | Who still leaves their door unlocked? |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A police operation in Liverpool has revealed that many people leave their front doors unlocked at night, allowing anybody to walk in. But in this age of all-consuming fear of crime, why would anybody do that? | |
| The following bedtime routine is probably familiar to many in the UK. | |
| Check back door is locked. Close and lock the windows. Lock the mortise lock on the front door. Set the alarm. Then - and only then - is the time to climb into bed. | Check back door is locked. Close and lock the windows. Lock the mortise lock on the front door. Set the alarm. Then - and only then - is the time to climb into bed. |
| Even for people who don't go to these lengths, most of us would make sure the front door at least couldn't be opened from the outside. | |
| These are security conscious times, where fear of burglary is high, so it is surprising that anybody would go to bed while any stranger could walk up their path, turn the handle and walk into their house. | |
| And yet that is just what a police operation in Liverpool is finding. After a spate of burglaries in two areas in the north of the city, officers have been patrolling at night and trying front door handles. | And yet that is just what a police operation in Liverpool is finding. After a spate of burglaries in two areas in the north of the city, officers have been patrolling at night and trying front door handles. |
| Many in the UK will be most familiar with doors on nightlatches - typically associated with the Yale brand - where closing the door is enough to lock. But increasingly, people have PVC doors, with handles, that need to be locked. | |
| In Liverpool, out of 3,500 doors with handles checked by police, 66 were unlocked. A further 14 had large ground floor windows open. The residents were woken and warned about the danger of leaving such easy access for a burglar. | |
| Another reason to leave the door open | Another reason to leave the door open |
| Of course, many older people may remember an era when an unlocked front door was a common thing. And there are far-flung areas of the UK where such an approach is the norm. | Of course, many older people may remember an era when an unlocked front door was a common thing. And there are far-flung areas of the UK where such an approach is the norm. |
| Isobel Holbourn lives on the island of Foula, 20 miles from the Shetland mainland. | Isobel Holbourn lives on the island of Foula, 20 miles from the Shetland mainland. |
| "I don't have a lock because I live in a remote beautiful island that is totally safe. There are other people, some lock their doors, it's personal preference. There is no need because we are 20 miles offshore. You couldn't get very far if you came in and swiped the silver." | "I don't have a lock because I live in a remote beautiful island that is totally safe. There are other people, some lock their doors, it's personal preference. There is no need because we are 20 miles offshore. You couldn't get very far if you came in and swiped the silver." |
| The island has a population of 30, swelled by visiting relatives and workmen at this time of year, but everybody knows each other and an atmosphere of trust pervades. | The island has a population of 30, swelled by visiting relatives and workmen at this time of year, but everybody knows each other and an atmosphere of trust pervades. |
| "I would fully expect if somebody's car broke down near me they would walk into my house and use the phone. If somebody needed something out of the shed, I would expect somebody to go in and help themselves." | "I would fully expect if somebody's car broke down near me they would walk into my house and use the phone. If somebody needed something out of the shed, I would expect somebody to go in and help themselves." |
| No fear | No fear |
| But travelling to the mainland - population 17,550 - brings new concerns. | But travelling to the mainland - population 17,550 - brings new concerns. |
| "Now when we leave the island for the mainland of Shetland, you have to change your mindset and be aware of your security and looking after your wallet and your keys." | "Now when we leave the island for the mainland of Shetland, you have to change your mindset and be aware of your security and looking after your wallet and your keys." |
| There may even be far-flung areas of Scotland, England, and Wales where people do not think it necessary to lock up at night. But surely the norm in most places, and certainly in big towns and cities, must be locking? | There may even be far-flung areas of Scotland, England, and Wales where people do not think it necessary to lock up at night. But surely the norm in most places, and certainly in big towns and cities, must be locking? |
| One woman, who lives in a town near Brighton, but does not wish to be named, says she routinely doesn't think to lock the front door. | One woman, who lives in a town near Brighton, but does not wish to be named, says she routinely doesn't think to lock the front door. |
| I would suspect that sneak-in burglaries are more common during the day Stuart ListerUniversity of Leeds | I would suspect that sneak-in burglaries are more common during the day Stuart ListerUniversity of Leeds |
| "There's absolutely no thought whatsoever in it. If I think about it I don't do it [leave the door open]. But most of the time I've got other things on my mind. What are they going to take?" | "There's absolutely no thought whatsoever in it. If I think about it I don't do it [leave the door open]. But most of the time I've got other things on my mind. What are they going to take?" |
| She is not scared of being burgled. | She is not scared of being burgled. |
| "Not really no. If I was scared I wouldn't live there." | "Not really no. If I was scared I wouldn't live there." |
| Dr Carol Jones, criminologist and senior lecturer at the University of Gloucestershire says the figures from the Liverpool police operation are surprising, but it might be understandable in some cases. | Dr Carol Jones, criminologist and senior lecturer at the University of Gloucestershire says the figures from the Liverpool police operation are surprising, but it might be understandable in some cases. |
| "When I've done research in the past relating to elderly people, particularly relating to burglary, people were saying things like 'I've lived here for years and nothing's ever happened to me so why should it happen now'." | "When I've done research in the past relating to elderly people, particularly relating to burglary, people were saying things like 'I've lived here for years and nothing's ever happened to me so why should it happen now'." |
| Now it's rare to see someone's home door ajar | Now it's rare to see someone's home door ajar |
| And of course people's fear of burglary is not necessarily in direct proportion to the risk of being burgled. Burglars tend to operate near to where they live. | And of course people's fear of burglary is not necessarily in direct proportion to the risk of being burgled. Burglars tend to operate near to where they live. |
| "Burglars tend to operate not far from the home, operate within a mile of where they live," says Stuart Lister, lecturer in criminal justice at the University of Leeds. | "Burglars tend to operate not far from the home, operate within a mile of where they live," says Stuart Lister, lecturer in criminal justice at the University of Leeds. |
| "Burglary is a form of acquisitive crime, it is driven by lack of resources. [Burglars] tend to offend in areas where people are of similar socio economic status, and don't have resources to spend on sophisticated burglar alarms." | "Burglary is a form of acquisitive crime, it is driven by lack of resources. [Burglars] tend to offend in areas where people are of similar socio economic status, and don't have resources to spend on sophisticated burglar alarms." |
| Dr Jones - who led a Home Office evaluation into the Locks for Pensioners scheme - puts it even more bluntly. | Dr Jones - who led a Home Office evaluation into the Locks for Pensioners scheme - puts it even more bluntly. |
| "The most stringent initiatives against being broken into are taken by the very people who are less likely to be burgled, people who live in nice leafy suburbs in nice semis." | "The most stringent initiatives against being broken into are taken by the very people who are less likely to be burgled, people who live in nice leafy suburbs in nice semis." |
| 'Defensible space' | 'Defensible space' |
| So from a criminological point of view it might not be the strangest thing in the world if you were to find slightly more unlocked front doors in areas with lots of burglaries. | So from a criminological point of view it might not be the strangest thing in the world if you were to find slightly more unlocked front doors in areas with lots of burglaries. |
| But Jimmy Torrance, a security engineer, locksmith and criminologist still thinks the Liverpool figures are on the high side. He estimates in a "typical" street you might find one in 60 houses where there is a door or window left open. | But Jimmy Torrance, a security engineer, locksmith and criminologist still thinks the Liverpool figures are on the high side. He estimates in a "typical" street you might find one in 60 houses where there is a door or window left open. |
| And of course, all this assumes that a typical burglar would even try the front door. | And of course, all this assumes that a typical burglar would even try the front door. |
| "It's interesting they are doing it during the night time because I would suspect that sneak-in burglaries are more common during the day," says Mr Lister. | "It's interesting they are doing it during the night time because I would suspect that sneak-in burglaries are more common during the day," says Mr Lister. |
| Mr Torrance suggests many burglars would not try the front door at night. It is what security experts would call a "defensible space", one that is so visible that it poses problems for the criminal. | Mr Torrance suggests many burglars would not try the front door at night. It is what security experts would call a "defensible space", one that is so visible that it poses problems for the criminal. |
| "The trouble with the front door is there are so many people driving up and down the road. It does happen but it's fairly rare, unless you are talking about 3.30 in the afternoon." | "The trouble with the front door is there are so many people driving up and down the road. It does happen but it's fairly rare, unless you are talking about 3.30 in the afternoon." |
| And of course, it all depends on what type of door you have. If it's a PVC door with a handle, or a wooden door with a handle and a mortise lock but no nightlatch, then you have to remember to lock it. | And of course, it all depends on what type of door you have. If it's a PVC door with a handle, or a wooden door with a handle and a mortise lock but no nightlatch, then you have to remember to lock it. |
| If you have a nightlatch then just pulling it closed is enough. | |
| And surely nobody can forget to close the door. | And surely nobody can forget to close the door. |
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