We are an increasingly affluent society
The increasing material status of Poles and the resulting accumulation of more possessions may encourage greater activity by home-grabbing criminals. In recent years, Poles have withdrawn large amounts of cash from banks and bought large amounts of investment gold in the form of bars or coins, which they usually keep at home. According to data from the Polish Police Headquarters, burglars target small, but expensive items that are easy to cash. Brand-name watches, gold and jewellery often fall prey to thieves.
Homes on the outskirts of major cities most vulnerable to burglary
Whether in Warsaw or Krakow, Gdansk or Poznan, Wroclaw or Lodz - houses on the outskirts of large cities are most vulnerable to burglary and theft. Autumn and winter are a special time - it gets dark quicker, we leave for holidays and winter vacations - this encourages unannounced visits from thieves. Sometimes these are thieves "by chance", but more and more often burglaries are committed by well-prepared criminal groups who are able to ransack the entire house in 10 minutes and take the most valuable items, including the safe.
Single-family homes are a frequent target for burglars
To protect themselves from burglaries, homeowners try to secure their properties in various ways. Alarm systems, monitoring and an intervention group, roller shutters and burglar-proof doors, a safe in a hidden place or a dangerous dog are all standard safeguards against burglars. Increasingly, groups are appearing on forums in which neighbours warn each other about burglaries, watch and report cars watching the neighbourhood and organise neighbourhood support. Unfortunately, all this is not enough to guard against burglary.
Burglars are becoming more and more prepared for their "job". They know the security systems, they can open windows or doors efficiently, they can damage or silence the alarm system. They also often break into houses at night, putting the occupants to sleep with special gases, having time and peace of mind to look through the entire house and find valuables. In addition to the loss of valuables, a home burglary while we are present is always a trauma and a fear for our lives and the safety of our loved ones.
Reduce the risk of burglary and theft
Below is the Police Headquarters' guidance on security and reducing the risk of burglary with theft.
In the case of a single-family house:
protect it by covering basement windows, terraces and balcony doors, especially those at the rear of the building,
don't forget to secure garage doors and other utility rooms through which you can easily access your home,
take care to illuminate dark areas around the house and detached garages. A thief does not like light,
write down the serial numbers of valuables (computer, television, camera, welding machine, motor, drill, grinder, other electrical equipment, etc.), mark them in an individual, permanent manner, invisible to a thief; make a list and, if possible, also a photographic documentation of valuables (jewellery, antiques, valuable paintings, old watches, etc.) - in case of theft this will significantly increase the chance of their recovery,
equip your house door with suitable patent locks,
an alarm system is an excellent safeguard,
install an anti-theft device in the door,
intercoms are excellent, but remember not to use the intercom to open doors for strangers, and instil this rule in your household too.
Leaving home:
lock all windows and doors do not leave keys in "good hiding places" (under the doormat, behind the flower pot on the window, behind the door frame) a thief first searches these places before breaking in,
remember to close cellar windows and other utility rooms,
when leaving the house in the evening, draw the curtains or lower the blinds. You can leave a light on in a room to give the appearance of being in the house,
do not leave any notice on the door when you leave the house, this lets the burglar know that the house is empty,
lock your door when leaving, even for a short time, to collect letters in the letterbox or take out the rubbish.
Discretion and consideration on a daily basis:
avoid keeping large sums of money, gold and valuable jewellery or watches in your home,
do not talk about your possessions in a place where strangers can hear you,
if you are going away for a long period of time, give your valuables to trustworthy people for safekeeping or deposit them in a safe deposit box,
teach your children discretion,
entrust keys to trustworthy people only,
in parallel with securing your flat/house with locks, alarms, double doors, etc., do not forget to insure it. Try to become as familiar as possible with the surroundings in which you live,
when leaving for a longer period of time, never spread the word right and left about your departure.
Crime in selected cities
Safebox24 is now in selected cities in Poland. We closely monitor security at our locations and sensitise our customers on a daily basis.
Warsaw, and above all the towns and cities near Warsaw, is a veritable Eldorado for thieves. Every year one hears about increasingly daring burglaries and thefts. Thieves are not deterred by cameras, the presence of owners and residents or the proximity of neighbours. This is perfectly described in one article:
Krakow and its surroundings, are not safe either. In the municipalities of Zielonki, Wielka Wieś, Jerzmanowice-Przeginia, there are warnings about burglaries, thefts and cars driving around and watching houses. The police issue notices, warn and ask people to protect themselves against burglaries. Neighbours are asking each other to keep an eye on their homes to see if any strangers are "hanging around". The situation is well reported in the attached article:
Łódź is one of the fastest growing agglomerations near the capital. This development is facilitated by the city's central location, excellent logistics and communications, and a number of investments made by the city and private investors. Łódź is also a hub of entrepreneurs and companies. Unfortunately, the city and its surroundings are also not spared by the wave of house burglaries:
Wrocław is a city where, in recent years, the wave of burglaries into flats and houses has been going through a kind of apogee. Burglars are breaking in and robbing single-family houses, segments and flats. Read more on this subject in the following article, among others:
Lublin, which is one of the largest and most dynamically developing cities in the eastern wall, also faces the problem of burglaries in houses and flats:
Szczecin, also known as the "Paris of the North", also faces burglaries of houses, flats and basements that increase in the autumn and winter period:
We have shown a selection of cities where Safebox24 owns its vault and storage facilities. Our customers are often families or businesses who have experienced burglary and theft. Such an experience forces them to reflect and consider how to properly secure their valuables but still have free access to them. Safebox24 vault safe deposit boxes offer above-average security, 24/7 access, individual insurance and professional service. If you want to protect your savings against burglary and theft, we invite you to visit our modern vaults in Warsaw, Krakow and Lodz. We offer safe deposit boxes in a variety of sizes, certified vaults in high security classes, a unique vault policy insuring each safe deposit box and many facilities for our customers.
O nas
Safebox24 is the largest independent vault operator in Poland, offering safe deposit boxes in modern, certified vaults together with individual Lloyd's Insurance S.A. insurance policy. Currently Safebox24 offers services in vaults in Warsaw, Krakow, Lublin, Szczecin Wroclaw, Lodz, and soon in the Tricity and other cities in Poland.
Our vault and depository services are further complemented by the offer of Mennica.Online, a modern dealer of gold and other precious metals in the form of bars and bullion coins. We offer sales and delivery of precious metals throughout Poland.
For more information about us and the services we offer, please visit www.safebox24.pl and www.mennica.online.