AAMI Home Security Index 2005

March 2005
SECURITY
home security index
www.aami.com.au
One in ten Australians
has experienced
home intrusion
One in five people don’t
warn their neighbours after
experiencing a burglary

This is the eighth annual AAMI Home Security Index, • Adelaide/regional • Coffs Harbour & • North Queensland
formerly published as the AAMI Car and Home Security South Australia Port Macquarie • Sunshine Coast
Index. It is published to inform and educate the community • Ballarat, Bendigo & • Dubbo • Sydney
about trends in home crime and security. The Index is Shepparton • Geelong • Toowoomba/
based on data collected from two sources: an independent • Batemans Bay, • Gold Coast Darling Downs
survey of more than 2400 Australian adults and an in-depth Bega & Ulladulla • Hobart • Wagga Wagga &
analysis of insurance claims lodged in 2004 by AAMI • Brisbane • Launceston
Griffith
policyholders in the Australian Capital Territory, New South
Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria..
The survey was conducted in the following areas:
• Canberra
• Central Queensland
• Melbourne
• Newcastle & Gosford
• Woollongong
& Nowra
Intruders become
more brazen
One in ten Australians (11 per cent),
has personal experience of home
intrusion – where a thief has broken in
while they were at home.
Of the people who experienced home
intrusion, half (49 per cent) became
aware that the intruder was on the
property. Of those who became aware of
the intruder, 68 per cent confronted
them, and in one-quarter of these
situations (24 per cent), violence ensued.
Common times for theft
According to AAMI’s claims statistics for
2004, burglaries were most common on
Fridays (more than 16 per cent) between
the hours of 8 am and 12 pm. The most
common month for burglary was
December, where more than 11 per cent
of all claims were reported.
Burglary a common experience
Many Australians (38 per cent) have
experienced a burglary at some point
in their lives.
People who live in metropolitan areas
were far more likely to experience a
burglary than people in regional areas
(43 per cent compared with 29 per
cent in regional areas).
One in 20 people (5 per cent) who
have a garden shed have had it broken
into. This crime occurred most often in
South Australia, where ten per cent of
people said their shed had been broken
ACCORDING TO
AAMI’S CLAIMS
STATISTICS
FOR 2004,
BURGLARIES
WERE MOST
COMMON ON
FRIDAYS.
into. Nationally, of those who have garden
shed, half (52 per cent) admit it is not as
secure as it should be.
Neighbours not warned of crime
One in five people (21 per cent) did not
warn their neighbours that a thief was at
work in the area after the burglary
occurred. People in New South Wales
were most likely to warn their neighbours
(88 per cent did so) and Victorians were
least likely (69 per cent).
Homeowners were more likely to warn
neighbours after a break-in than renters
(83 per cent did compared with 63 per
cent). The likelihood of communicating
with neighbours about theft increased
with age – 62 per cent of 18-34-year-olds
KEY FINDINGS
did so, compared with 83 per cent of
those aged 35 and older.
Some forget basic security
Despite the knowledge that most theft
is opportunistic, some people still forget
to attend to basic security around
their homes.
One-third of Australians (36 per cent)
admitted they had been known to leave
their front or back door open when they
probably should not. This was least
common in Victoria (31 per cent) and the
Australian Capital Territory (25 per cent).
Most of those who had no security
features at all in the home, such as
deadlocks, window locks or alarms, left
their doors open (59 per cent).
■ Four in ten Australians (38 per cent) has experienced a break-in at some
point in their lives.
■ One in ten Australians (11 per cent) has been burgled while someone
was at home.
■ Almost half of Australians (44 per cent) do not investigate or call the
police when they hear a home alarm. 1
■ One in seven Australians (14 per cent) say they have no home or
contents-related insurance to protect their home and possessions.
■ One in ten people (10 per cent) do not have any security at all in their
home, such as deadlocks, window locks, alarms, security grills or safes.
■ One in 20 Australians (5 per cent) do not take any security measures to
protect their home when they go on holiday. 2
■ One in five people (21 per cent) don’t warn their neighbours about thieves
in the area after they’ve been burgled.

One-third of people with deadlocks
(34 per cent) said these locks were not
always activated when they should be. A
similar proportion of those with window
locks (38 per cent) said their locks were
not always activated when they should
be. People who have experienced a
burglary at their current home were more
likely to be vigilant with home security –
27 per cent who have experienced a
burglary at their current home said their
locks are not always used compared with
41 per cent who had not experienced a
burglary at their current home.
Four in ten people with home alarms (42
per cent) said they sometimes go out
without turning on their alarm. This
number was lower among people who
had experienced a burglary at their
current home – of them, one-third (33
per cent) said they sometimes go out
without turning the alarm on.
Alarms ignored
Almost half of Australians (44 per cent)
said they do not investigate or call the
police when they hear a home alarm.
Just 21 per cent of people believed an
alarm was the most effective security
measure to protect their home when they
go away on holidays.
Holiday anxiety
One-third of Australians (35 per cent) are
apprehensive about going on holidays in
case they are burgled while they are
away. Not surprisingly, people who have
been burgled at their current address are
more likely to say they are anxious about
13.96 15.46 11.98 19.41 13.45 11.37 18.93
National
Home burglaries per 1000 policies – 2004
Queensland NSW ACT Victoria Tasmania South
Australia
Source: AAMI Claims data 2004 (no statistics available for Northern Territory)
a break-in when they go on holidays
compared with those who have not
(44 per cent compared with 34 per cent).
Most Australians (95 per cent) take some
kind of security precaution when leaving
their home for an extended period of time.
Most people (85 per cent) ask a friend or
neighbour to keep an eye on their home or
collect their mail. Four in ten (41 per cent)
leave a light on in the house and one-third
(33 per cent) leave devices on timers,
such as a sprinkler or lights. A similar
proportion (35 per cent) tries to arrange a
house sitter. Three in ten people (28 per
cent) activate an alarm system.
When asked which of the above measures
were most effective, generally, people felt
that a human presence was the best
deterrent to thieves. One-third (35 per
cent) felt that asking someone to keep an
eye on their home or collect their mail was
the most effective deterrent to being
burgled. As popular was arranging a
house sitter (34 per cent).
Securing our homes
One in ten Australians (10 per cent) has no
security features in their home at all. Many
people, however, had more than one
security feature. Seven in ten (71 per cent)
had deadlocked external doors, 64 per
cent had window locks and 29 per cent
had an alarm system. People in regional
areas were twice as likely not to have any
security in their home when compared
with those in metropolitan areas.
Incentives for extra security
One in seven people (15 per cent) have
NINE IN TEN
PEOPLE (88 PER
CENT) BELIEVE A
BARKING DOG IS
GOOD DETERRENT
TO THIEVES.
How thieves get in
invested in more sophisticated security
measures such as video surveillance,
card access or security patrols.
Tasmanians were least likely to have this
extra security (8 per cent) and people in
New South Wales were most likely (18
per cent). Newer homes were also more
likely to have these features – 24 per
cent of homes aged less than 10 years
had these and just 11 per cent of homes
aged 21 years or more had them.
Just over half (52 per cent) of people
who do not have any of these
sophisticated security measures would
consider at least one of them if they
received a discount on their insurance
as a result.
Two in ten not insured
against theft
Eight in ten (81 per cent) Australians
reported that they had contents
insurance in case of theft from their
home. Homeowners are far more likely
to have home insurance – 92 per cent of
home owners said they had home
insurance compared with just 52 per
cent of renters.
Fourteen per cent of Australians has no
insurance for their belongings.
Many keep records
of belongings
Most people had at least one measure in
place to assist them in making an
insurance claim if their home was burgled.
Half (47 per cent) had a list of
possessions and their approximate value.
Window 26%
Door 39%
No sign of entry 12%
Garage Door 22%
Other 1%

v
The impact of home intrusion on victims
Home intrusions receive a lot of Being a victim of crime affects bedroom, and this can become a
media attention. Fortunately, they people in different ways. While long-term problem.
are not common, but when they
do take place they can leave a
every person’s reaction to crime is
unique, it is not unusual for people
The financial burden of home
intrusion extends beyond the
victim feeling devastated and who have experienced a home loss and damage to property.
violated. The crime can destroy a intrusion to feel shocked, fearful, Victims sometimes need
person’s trust in others and angry, depressed or anxious. therapeutic treatment,
blacken their view of the local Some victims may experience counselling, and in extreme
community and society in difficulty sleeping; nightmares; cases, pharmacological
general. Home intrusions fracture obtrusive mental flashbacks; intervention. Some may be
the sanctity of the home on a emotional withdrawal and unable to work for a period.
deep level, causing victims to feel
unsafe and constantly aware of
danger in their own environment.
In many cases, occupants are left
with a deep-seated fear that the
offender will return.
coldness; relationship difficulties;
and anger management problems.
Some victims report being
alarmed by any small sound or
vibration in their home.
Children are particularly
While the reactions described
above are a natural and normal
part of the process of dealing with
a traumatic event, in most cases
they are temporary. With support
from family, friends and
Victims of home intrusion often susceptible to the psychological colleagues, most people recover
describe the trauma of being effects of home intrusion. Many from the effects of crime within a
powerless, and feeling vulnerable children develop a phobia of being few months. For other people, the
and frightened that they will be in a room alone. Children who recovery process is more difficult.
injured or killed. For some, the were previously confident and Prepared by the Victims Support
worst aspect is the uncertainty outgoing can become insecure Agency, part of the Victorian
of the crime — not knowing how and clingy. Some children are only State Government’s Department
far the offender will go. able to sleep in their parents’ of Justice.
TEN TIPS FOR SECURING YOUR HOME AND BELONGINGS
1. Remember the basics – it’s no good installing 6. Don’t leave doors or windows wide open for
locks and then not using them. long periods even while you’re at home.
2. Make sure everyone in your home is equally 7. Don’t leave car keys and wallets beside open
security conscious. Have a routine that windows or doors.
everyone follows to check locks and switch on 8. Engage deadlocks when you leave the house
alarms when the house is left unoccupied. so that thieves cannot carry items out through
3. Tell your neighbours if your home is broken into your main doors.
– then they can remember to be extra careful 9. If you can’t arrange for someone to pick up
and report any suspicious people to police. your mail every day when you’re on holiday,
4. Don’t assume balcony doors or high windows ask the post office to hold it until you return.
are safe to leave unlocked – thieves are good Also, attach a ‘no advertising material’ sign to
at finding ways to overcome these obstacles. your letterbox so it doesn’t overflow.
5. Pack easy-to-carry, expensive items such as 10. Lock up your meter box to prevent thieves
laptops, iPods and jewellery away and out of tampering with your power supply.
sight so thieves can’t see them.
The AAMI Home Security Index is prepared with the
help of a nationally recognised independent research
company Sweeney Research, which ensures the
validity of the survey methodology and findings. The
study is based upon a national telephone survey
conducted in 2005 using a representative and
statistically valid sample* of 2400 Australian adults in
major population centres and regions across Australia.
Except where stated, the survey explores respondents’
experiences of home burglaries over their lifetime.
AAMI’s research may differ from government and
police sources, which typically examine a 12-month
VICTIMS OF CRIME
SUPPORT SERVICES
A person does not have to
suffer a physical injury to be
a victim of crime. Injuries can
also be psychological and
emotional.
Support services are
available to victims in each
state and territory, offering
both emotional support and
practical advice about the
Justice system.
Some victims may benefit
from counselling to help them
through the recovery process
and staff can assist victims in
contacting the most
appropriate support agency
to meet their needs.
New South Wales
Victims Support Line
1800 633063
Victoria
Victims of Crime Helpline
1800 819817
Queensland
Victims Counselling and
Support Service
1300 139703
South Australia
Victim Support Service
1800 182368
Tasmania
Victims of Crime Support
1300 300238
ACT
Victim Services Scheme
1800 822 272
Western Australia
Victim Support Service
08 9425 2850
Northern Territory
Victims of Crime NT
(previously VOCAL)
1800 672242
period. Also, smaller or unreported incidents may be
captured in AAMI’s research and not by others.
*The confidence interval for this sample size is plus or minus
2 percent, which means that for the survey sample of 2400,
if the observed percentage result is 50 per cent, the chances
are 95 in 100 that the range – 48-52 per cent – includes the
true percentage for the total Australian population.
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