Use Your Head to put the Shed Dread to Bed

One of the categories of crime in the UK that has been stubbornly consistent for several years now is theft from around the outside of the home and from outbuildings such as sheds.  This is probably because it is too easy to get into the garden in the first place, we keep a surprisingly high amount of valuable property outside the home and because our homes are more secure than they used to be - throwing the emphasis onto the shed.

This website’s Home Security Survey question that asks respondents to describe the security of their garden shed confirms this sorrowful state of affairs, something I term ‘The Shed Dread’.

This is what respondents have said:

• 14% reckon their shed is very well secured
• 48% reckon their shed is quite well secured and
• 38% state that their shed is not very well secured (thanks for being so honest!)

Other Home Security Survey findings suggest that people over-estimate their home security levels by as much as 10% and therefore, with my old Crime Prevention Officer’s hat on, I would suggest that at least half of us could suffer the consequences of shed dread.

There are two main problems with sheds:  Firstly, they usually contain largely unidentifiable property, such as hand and electric tools and gardening equipment all of which sells well down at the local car boot sale and secondly, the tools in the shed can be used to force open a door or window in the home.

So, with spring in mind please set yourself a DIY project and use your head to put the shed dread to bed – you know it makes sense!

Advice here: http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/preventing-theft-from-the-garden/606/security-for-garden-outbuildings/