We offer for your attention a minimal set of rules, following which will help you more reliably protect your property from criminal attacks.
Crime statistics
According to statistics from the UVO under the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs for Nizhny Novgorod Region, in the first quarter of 2011, 818 apartment burglaries were committed in Nizhny Novgorod Region, of which 353 were in Nizhny Novgorod. The city's most crime-prone district for apartment burglaries is Avtozavodsky District, where 149 crimes were committed. By method, the largest share of burglaries (40%) were carried out by picking locks using special picklocks; 30% by breaking or destroying locking devices; 27% by forcing the front door (prying or kicking it in); and up to 15% by entering through windows and balconies.
An analysis of burglaries by time of day shows that most of them (73.2%) were committed between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. In most districts this happens on weekdays, when a large share of the population is at work. However, with the arrival of the spring-summer period and the dacha season, a rise in nighttime apartment burglaries from Friday to Sunday is expected. Often, in apartment buildings, none of the neighbors on a floor are at home. This significantly reduces the risk for criminals of being caught in the act, makes it much harder for police to solve such crimes, and makes it practically impossible to track down criminals by "hot pursuit." Criminals often choose homes in newly built neighborhoods for apartment burglaries. In such microdistricts, high-rise buildings with many entrances predominate, and residents are not well acquainted with one another.
We offer for your attention a minimal set of rules, following which will help you more reliably protect your property from criminal attacks.
Everyday tips
If strangers enter your apartment (utility workers, repair technicians for household electrical appliances, radio equipment, etc.), restrict the route they can move around the apartment and accompany them. Do not leave apartment keys, documents, money, or other valuables in plain sight.
Keep an eye on the trees and bushes beneath your windows, and do not let them grow wild. Draw the curtains so strangers cannot see the layout of your apartment.
Make a list of the numbers of valuable securities and items (serial number, manufacturer's number, etc.) kept at home. If a valuable item has no numbers, you can mark it yourself. This will make it possible, in the event of a theft, to recover the stolen items more quickly and track down the criminal.
If you or your children lose your keys, change the lock immediately.
Do not hire a nanny, tutor, or housekeeper without references.
If you notice suspicious strangers in the stairwell who claim to be employees of various services and organizations, report it to the police via the "02" emergency line.
Tips for when you're away
Build good relations with your neighbors in the building, agree with them to keep an eye on each other's apartments, and exchange phone numbers.
Do not tell outsiders about upcoming trips. Take steps so that mail does not pile up in your mailbox. Ask a neighbor to collect it regularly, or rent a special box at the post office.
Do not leave valuables at home. Place them in safekeeping at a bank's special storage facility or at a private security unit, or take them to relatives.
Protect your apartment
Install sturdy doors with reliable locks. When choosing a manufacturer, it is better to settle on a large, reputable company.
Pay attention to securing windows, balconies, and loggias, especially in apartments located on the first and top floors, as well as those adjoining fire escapes and drainpipes. Install bars or shutters on the windows, and glaze in balconies and loggias.
If the layout allows, it is worthwhile to install an additional door on the landing, sealing off the vestibule in front of the apartment entrance doors.
Collectively decide on purchasing, paying for, and installing an intercom (entry lock system) at the building entrance.
And finally. As many years of practice show, the most reliable way to protect your property from criminal attacks is to equip the apartment with a security alarm connected to the central monitoring station of a private security unit. In this case, once a contract is signed, the police take on the responsibility of protecting your apartment. In the event of an unlawful break-in, the private security response team will arrive at the "alarm" signal within a few minutes.