Client News > Release
29-07-2010
Property Owners Warned of Dangers of Unoccupied Premises
35% increase in security incidences
29th July 2010 Netwatch, Ireland’s leading Protection Specialists, has warned property owners to be extra vigilant about securing their premises after experiencing a surge in attempted criminal activity at unoccupied premises in recent months.
New figures released by Netwatch show there has been a 35% increase in attempted break-ins at the unoccupied premises they protect, when compared with figures for 2009. The company has also seen a 30% increase in calls from property owners who are concerned about the liability and criminality issues associated with untenanted premises.
David Walsh, Managing Director of Netwatch explains, "The "eyes of the street" that typically act as a deterrent to criminals do not exist in empty premises or estates, so the opportunity to engage in criminal activity is heightened. Vacant properties are often readily accessible, and criminals can engage in activity without detection."
The nature of criminal activity ranges from the theft of materials from completed units, to criminal damage, loitering and activity associated with drug use. Netwatch have also detected a positive correlation between the lengths of time a premises lies empty and incidences of criminal behaviour.
"Due to the economic downturn, there are ever increasing number of unoccupied buildings. We are now monitoring over 60% more unoccupied premises than we were 3 years ago. Criminal activity increases in times of economic hardship, so it is feasible to assume that we will continue to see increased vandalism and theft from these premises over the next few years. It is critical that local authorities, building owners or other relevant bodies put appropriate systems in place now to stop the degeneration and "ghettoisation" of certain areas" says Walsh.
A key problem with unoccupied buildings is a lack of surveillance, which allows anti-social behaviour to develop, undetected. Traditional methods of security, such as manned guarding are very expensive, particularly in buildings or estates that are already in negative equity or revenue neutral. CCTV cameras alone can be targeted for criminal damage and don’t actually prevent crime, they simply record it.
According to Walsh, Irish criminals are becoming ever more industrious in their pursuit of easy money and as they become ever more desperate, burglar alarms and static CCTV systems are less of a deterrent. "We carried out a survey recently and despite the fact that more than 63 percent of respondents had burglar alarms installed and 60 percent had CCTV cameras in place, they are still being targeted on a regular basis by criminals. So, the focus has to be re-trained on preventing criminal activity" he says.
Criminal activity is only one of the risks that exist with unoccupied premises. If a building, either commercial or residential, is unoccupied or untenanted for more than 30 days it typically won't be covered under a standard property owner's insurance policy. Property owners have to consider their own liability if there is an accident on their premises.
"In the current climate, property owners cannot take an ad hoc approach to their security provisions. Evaluating protocols or insurance policies after an incident has taken place is redundant. Property owners need to take the necessary steps now, to protect their property and ensure it is not targeted by criminals or youths engaging in anti social behaviour."
Netwatch deploys the most advance protection technologies including GPS tracking, audio visual detection, personal protector equipment and wireless perimeter security cordons to protect individuals and premises. Protection Specialists at the Netwatch Command Centre direct operations remotely and intervene as soon as a security cordon is breached alerting the intruders to the fact that they are being watched and that the Garda have been informed. Statistics to date have shown that this intervention prevents any crime taking place in over 99% of cases.
