A harsh light has been shone by ADT’s recent research, revealing that the Northern Irish capital Belfast has taken the title of most likely city to experience a burglary.
LONDON 11th July 2022: New research has shown that 41% of the Belfast’s population having experienced a break in. The Northern Irish city has experienced over 3% more burglaries than London despite having a population of around 600,000 compared to London’s 9 million. This is according to new research by security experts ADT which has highlighted which cities experiences the most break ins in the UK.
The national average of Brits experiencing a burglary in UK cities is 25%, leaving a 16% difference between Belfast and most of the nation. However, they aren’t the only city with this concerningly high rate of property crimes. Bradford was a close second on the list with 40.7% of respondents experiencing burglaries, meaning that Bradford also has a higher burglary rate than London. These areas contrast vastly to other regions of the UK, with the lowest crime rates seen in the Exeter (6.8%), Lisburn (9.1%) and Dundee (7.7%).
While London may not be the most vulnerable city, as a region altogether Greater London is the most burgled area and home related incidents in this area seem to find people falling victim more than once. 23% of people living in London have experienced a break in three times in their life, compared to only 9% on average for the rest of the UK.
There are a multitude of ways that people can protect their home to prevent or lower the risk of burglaries, however it seems homeowners are reluctant to take advantage of the security options available to them. Nearly 2 in 10 (17%) people in the UK have no home security systems fitted to protect their homes from unwanted visitors even though on average, Brits would spend on average £382.20 in total on securing their homes. What’s more, only 1 in 10 11%) Brits have an externally monitored intruder alarm system.
Additionally, almost half (44%) of Brits admit to leaving their doors unlocked or wide open when they have left the house and two thirds (60%) don’t check if their new home has a security system in place already before moving in.
Glenn Amato, Managing Director – ADT Subscriber commented “By ignoring these easy checks,
individuals are making themselves more susceptible to crimes, even though there are many tools available to check the vulnerability of the area you’re moving it. We want to encourage Brits to become more security savvy, and be educated on what they can do to protect themselves and their homes from break ins.”
Top 10 most burgled cities in the UK:
- Belfast
- Bradford
- London
- Leicester
- Sheffield
- Manchester
- Middlesborough
- York
- St Albans
- Kingston-Upon-Hull
To find out more about what ADT could offer to keep your home safe visit https://www.adt.co.uk/crime-in-my-area
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About ADT
ADT is the UK’s leading provider of fire, security and life safety systems for homes and businesses, offering 24/7 monitored burglar alarms, the latest smart security and lifestyle technology, CCTV systems, monitored smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and more. Protecting homes and businesses across the UK & Ireland for over 147 years, it provides over 400,000 residential and small to medium business customers with round the clock protection, detection and peace of mind, keeping people, homes, business property and assets safe.