Many of you have heard that Halloween is a high crime night, but you might’ve dismissed it as one of those Halloween urban myths perpetuated by the media.
After all, people don’t really put poison or razors into candy¹. Lesser known urban myths, like the idea that Halloween is some kind of satanic holiday (it’s not it either traces back to All Hallows Eve, which is also known as All Saint’s eve, a distinctly Christian celebration, or if you go back further it can be traced to harvest festivals), or that people adopt black cats just to sacrifice them around Halloween, have also been thoroughly debunked.
But the idea that Halloween leads to a spike in crime rates is true.
It actually makes perfect sense. It’s the one night of the year when wearing a mask won’t draw suspicion. It’s one of the rare nights where entire families are out after dark, so most homes are empty. Most scarily, it’s a night when kids are encouraged to talk to strangers…
The data shows that there is a 50% increase in crime² during Halloween, and crime experts say that Halloween is the worst time for violent crime in the whole year³
Burglaries in particular skyrocket during Halloween, with home-theft related claims increasing by 60% according to insurance companies⁴.
So, while we enjoy Halloween as much as the next person, it’s important to take precautions to protect your children and your home from criminals who want to take advantage of one of scariest nights of the year.
Here are some basic crime prevention tips to protect your family and your home:
- Always keep an eye on your children when trick-or-treating no matter how safe the neighborhood. All sorts of people are out on Halloween… including criminals, some of whom might be particularly interested in targeting children.
- Avoid street parking if possible in favor of garages or secured car parks. If it’s unavoidable, park in a well lit area and make sure your car alarm is on. Don’t leave any valuables in the car. Car vandalism and theft also spike during Halloween.
- If you’re leaving the house, consider leaving the lights on as a deterrent. Making it look like someone is home will decrease the chances that a burglary will occur. Criminals target unoccupied homes because they are safer and easier to steal from.
- Always check who’s at the door before opening. It’s most likely going to be a trick-or-treater, but you never know, especially as it gets later into the evening.
- Reinforce your home security, and in particular the entry points to your home like doors and windows. If you have a security system, make sure it’s armed.
As one of the highest crime nights of the year approaches, you should know that:
- On average it takes 20+ minutes for police to respond to a home alarm
- More than 85% of break-ins are through a door
- For an intruder, it takes just 10s to kick your door… 4 minutes to steal all your belongings… and only 1 minute to hurt your family…
Our friends over at Armor Concepts (who make the world’s best door reinforcement system) are having a special Halloween sale – all their products are 15% off.
Door Armor is police tested and recommended, comes with a 60 day no questions asked guarantee, and a $500 lifetime guarantee. It’s a product we stand behind… even if there’s a violent intruder on the other side of the door.
Once again, all Armor Concepts products are 15% off for a limited time only. With the highest crime evening of the year coming up, you can’t afford to not reinforce your home security right now.
Don’t be a victim. Make the proper preparations to protect your family and your home.
Learn more about defending against a home invasion
Happy Halloween, and stay safe and stay vigilant.
¹ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/10/18/there-no-razors-your-kids-candy-debunking-halloween-myths/738082001/
² https://www.huffpost.com/entry/crime-spikes-on-halloween-fictional-ghost-story-or-factual-concern_b_8309014
³ http://archive.boston.com/community/blogs/crime_punishment/2011/10/the_halloween_crime_spike.html
⁴ https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2016/10/31/430887.htm
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