Most homeowners know a security fence will make their house a harder target for burglars. But do you know the real value that a security fence purchase can bring? This quick security facts quiz may surprise you:
1) What is the average value lost in a burglary?
A) $552
B) $1,021
C) $1,879
D) $2,316
2) When do most burglaries occur?
A) Early morning
B) Mid-day
C) Evening
D) Late night
3) What percentage of burglars gain entry through unlocked doors or windows?
A) 10 percent
B) 30 percent
C) 50 percent
D) 70 percent
4) How often do burglaries occur?
A) Once every 5 minutes
B) Once every minute
C) Once every 20 seconds
D) Once every 10 seconds
5) Where do most burglars live in relation to their victims?
A) Nearby
B) In another city
C) In another county
D) In another state
6) The Average Burglary Takes …
A) An hour
B) 30 minutes
C) 15 minutes
D) 10 minutes
7) Residential burglaries account for what percentage of all burglaries?
A) 22 percent
B) 58 percent
C) 74 percent
D) 100 percent
8) What percentage of burglaries are solved?
A) 13 percent
B) 27 percent
C) 55 percent
D) 81 percent
9) What percentage of burglaries are reported to police?
A) 25 percent
B) 50 percent
C) 75 percent
D) 100 percent
10) How many say they feel crime is rising in the U.S.?
A) 1 in 10
B) 3 in 10
C) 5 in 10
D) 7 in 10
Answers:
1) D, $2,316. The average burglary victim loses thousands in property. Note that this figure is merely an average, meaning that some victims lose much more.
2) B, mid-day. Surprisingly, most burglars strike between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. This is because home invaders are opportunistic and know that most homeowners are working during those hours. Striking during the daytime also minimizes the chance that a neighbor will be home to see them break in.
3) B, 30. Intruders often strike the easiest targets they can find, and homes with unlocked doors and windows provide simple access. Often the first step for a thief is merely checking doorknobs to see which are locked or unlocked.
4) C, once every 20 seconds. That’s a whopping 1.5 million burglaries a year.
5) A, nearby. More than 50 percent of burglars live close to their victims. This allows them to surveil the property, learn the homeowner’s patterns, and plan their entrance and escape.
6) D, 10 minutes. The faster a burglar can strike a home, the less chance they have of being caught.
7) C, 74 percent. Since residences are where most people keep their valuables, it’s no surprise intruders target them.
8) A, 13 percent. Burglaries have a staggeringly low “clearance rate,” which is what authorities call the rate of cases that are solved. The home invader is likely to get away with it. With most cases, no one sees anything, and the police have nothing to go on except the knowledge that someone broke in and stole valuables.
9) B, 50 percent. Perhaps because of the low likelihood of a satisfactory conclusion, about half of burglary victims don’t even report the crime to authorities.
10) D, 7 in 10. Americans are feeling more and more insecure about the prevalence of crime, according to Gallup.
How can a security fence help?
With these shocking statistics in mind, let’s look at the benefits of home fencing. The biggest theme that jumps out of the stats is that home invaders are first and foremost opportunistic. They target homes that they can enter and exit quickly, case with ease, and have the fewest amount of locks and other deterrents in between them and the valuables they aim to steal. Making your home as difficult a target as possible is a surefire way to send would-be burglars looking elsewhere. This is where a security fence comes in.
A security fence presents barriers to entering and exiting
As we know from the FBI’s statistics, burglars don’t stick around long, between 8 and 12 minutes usually. They aim to get into a home quickly, grab what valuables they can and flee before anyone notices. When selecting target, they look for homes that offer quick escape routes in case they’re spotted by a neighbor or bystander or in case a homeowner returns unexpectedly.
You can put up barriers to both with something as simple as a galvanized chain link fence, which an intruder would have to vault to enter and exit your property. Jumping a fence makes it obvious to anyone who see the burglar that they’re up to no good and makes a call to the police by a concerned bystander all the more likely. If the intruder has to make a hasty escape, a fence they have to jump over to get out will slow them down and give police more time to catch up or witnesses more time to note identifying details about the perpetrator.
If you want to give any criminal pause, there’s a method that’s stood the test of time: spikes. The Huntington aluminum panel fence features an array that will make potential home invaders think twice. Consider it from the burglar’s point of view; would you want to break into a property protected by a security fence with spikes or one without? As we know, criminals go for the easiest targets they can find, and a home with a spiked fence is not an easy target.
You can even install a security fence that provides an unexpected complication for would-be home invaders. A PVC vinyl fence with a lattice top is sturdy enough to weather all kinds of impacts from the sides, but the lattice work on top is unlikely to support anyone trying to climb over it. A burglar’s hopes of a quick escape would crumble if they tried to put the weight of a person on the lattice.
A security fence prevents ‘casing’ of a home
A majority of burglars live with 2 miles of their victim. This proximity allows burglars to “case” a home. To case a home, they monitor the comings and goings of the occupants, aiming to learn their schedules and security systems. Does he come home late every Monday? Does she eat lunch at home on Wednesdays? Are there places that the outdoor lighting misses? Are there security cameras?
In this case, a privacy fence can double as a security fence, preventing burglars from doing their due diligence on a home and making that home a much less likely target. The same Norfolk privacy fence that keeps prying eyes off your property can also keep a potential intruder from recording the information they need. Since these criminals tend to take the path of least resistance, they’ll move on to a target they can find out more about.
A security fence adds locks
Shrewd burglars constantly test locks to see if the homeowner has slipped up in any way. You can add an extra layer of insurance by adding a security fence with a locked gate. This prevents intruders from even getting to your front door to test if it’s locked. It also gives you peace of mind that you’ve got a second lock in play if you get that feeling that you forgot to lock up one of the other.
Redundancies like that are critical to creating a home environment that’s secure every time you leave, even if you slip up now and again. And a security fence is the best way to add another redundancy into your system.
A security fence can give defensive plants a home
As an added measure, homeowners can also consider using their security fence as a place to add climbing plants or harsh hedges that will deter burglars. There’s several varieties to choose from.
Smilax (or greenbrier) climbs very quickly thanks to its two climbing methods: tendrils and clinging vines. It grows so fast that it can form thickets and sports extremely sharp thorns that will deter even the most determined criminal.
Roseaceae (or blackberry) is described by Popular Mechanics as “a wall of pain be as wide as you'd like.” It’s full of prickly canes and gives the added benefit of producing fruit.
Euphorbia milii is a nasty vine that’s also called the “crown of thorns.” In addition to an almost unrivaled arsenal of spikes, its sap can give rashes and sicken those unlucky enough to ingest it. It’s believed the Bible refers to this plant when it describes the crown of thorns placed on Jesus’ head.
Pyracantha (or firethorn) earns its name twice over. Its berries grow in clusters that appear like patches of fire. It grows needles that aren’t poisonous, but they can cause severe reactions for people unlucky enough to be allergic to it.
Fuschia flowering currant is a spiny shrub that can be fan trained against a wall to provide a thorny defensive barrier. Hummingbirds will sometimes visit its dangling flowers.
