Security, Surprises and Sharing Insights

Last week, our home was broken into — a truly upsetting and unsettling experience. While some might consider this a topic for a different platform, I feel it’s important to share here because I regularly work from home and store important work-related details there. This incident didn’t just affect me personally; it also impacted my professional life and in turn, PurePac.

What stood out the most was how much I didn’t know about burglary tactics, even with significant security measures already in place. I've never been the victim of a break-in before and the experience has been a wake-up call. I want to share some key learnings that might help others protect their homes and businesses:

  1. The timing was unexpected: The break-in occurred at 6:36 p.m. on a Saturday. I had assumed most burglaries happened in the early hours of the morning. However, the police explained that those hours are often associated with car theft. Surprisingly, 5 pm to 9 pm is a prime time for home break-ins, regardless of holidays or the day of the week.
  2. Lighting and curtains weren’t enough: Despite having automatic lights and curtains, these didn’t deter the intruders. Even more robust deterrents are necessary.
  3. First-floor entry is common for gangs: The burglars climbed onto our extension roof and smashed a bedroom window to gain access. This tactic is common and specialised, as it helps avoid ground-floor sensors.
  4. Alarms and sensors matter: Our landing sensor played a critical role. It triggered the second alarm after the CCTV system, limiting the damage. The police shared that burglars generally believe they have about 10 minutes to complete their theft and flee, so every second counts.

After this incident, I’ve realised some critical adjustments we need to make:

Install sensors in every bedroom: If the intruders had triggered a sensor as soon as they entered the first-floor rooms, their time inside could have been further reduced.

Reassess the location and security of safes: Even though our safe weighed 50 kg, they managed to throw it out of the bedroom window. I’ve now learned that a safe should ideally be cemented into the ground on the lower floor.

Frustratingly, despite having full CCTV footage of the incident, there isn’t much chance of the intruders being apprehended. The police believe this was the work of a professional gang, likely from outside our county or even the UK.

While the damage, sentimental losses and invasion of privacy are deeply upsetting, I’m grateful for the lessons learned and the opportunity to reinforce our security. If sharing this helps even one person improve their home security, it will be worth it.

If you have additional tips or similar experiences to share, I’d love to hear them. Let’s support each other in staying secure — at work and home.

Stay safe

Sylvia