THE POLICE Department has warned the public of the high risk of burglaries and theft expected on the island during the summer months, urging residents to take the necessary measures to protect themselves against theft.
Authorities are specifically warning against expected housebreaking attempts, as Cypriots leave for summer homes and overseas destinations, as well as theft in hotels and on the island’s crowded beaches. Cyprus has seen a surge in demand for home and workplace security systems, but police warn that not enough people are taking the appropriate precautionary measures.
Despite Cyprus’ reputation as a safe place, property crimes are increasing by year, and police are pressing residents not to take security for granted. Appropriate actions must be taken by the public to ensure the safety of their belongings and to assist in the efforts of the island’s police in acting to prevent theft from occurring.
While no statistics for the year 2007 have been made available yet, burglary and theft is most definitely on the rise, with police expecting the summer to be peak season for attempted theft.
Police statistics show that burglary and housebreaking rates increased by 8 per cent between 2005 and 2006, with 3,068 reported incidents over the one-year period.
While minor theft offences went down by 3 per cent over the same period, such incidents have seen a net increase of 12 per cent since 2003.
Serious theft offences against property have, however, increased dramatically by 34 per cent, with 1,607 reported cases over the one-year period.
Police are encouraging people to invest in burglar alarm systems, the most efficient means of protecting against theft, though it appears the public has already started to wisen up.
Sales Director of Piperaris Security Protection, Nikolas Bolas, told the Cyprus Mail that: “If you were to compare data from now with that of five or ten years ago, you would see that demand for home security systems has increased dramatically. Even from last year, there has been increasing demand for burglar alarms, fire alarms, as well as access control systems for offices.”
Most popular among buyers, he said, were wireless security systems, as well as multi-system units. Though the cost of such systems varies according to the size of the house and property, prices circulated more or less around £500.
A spokesman for Dragon Security Systems said that another popular model among Cyprus buyers were those whose wire systems were incorporated into building infrastructure during construction.
He added that a common trend among buyers on the island was to leave installation requests until too late, with a surge in requests just before the summer and Christmas holiday periods.
“We get a surge in requests for urgent installations during [these periods], because people tend to leave things until the last minute,” he said.
He added that the last five to six years have seen significant increases in demand for security systems both in homes and other premises like office buildings.
Aside from the installation of burglar alarm systems, which can be costly, police have noted a number of other precautionary measures people might take to foil attempts at burglary and theft.
The public is advised to leave no clues of absence from home, usually achieved by leaving a light, television or radio on. As well as ensuring that all doors and windows are securely locked, valuables should be hidden away – a safe is suggested – and people should refrain from leaving keys above locks.
Co-operation with neighbours is encouraged in spotting, warding off and reporting possible intruders.
Similar precautions are suggested in hotels – where valuables may be given to reception staff – and on beaches it is suggested that valuables are kept hidden and locked in the boots of vehicles.
To prevent theft in public places, the police suggests placing money and credit cards in front pockets, and advises women against carrying large amounts of money or important documents in handbags.
The police ask for the public to work with the department in decreasing the risk of theft and in reporting suspicious activities. In such instances, people are asked to contact the nearest police station or dial 1460 for the police’s Citizen’s Line.
