Some 4 in 10 Belgians (40%) assess the risk of being burgled as low, whereas 4% consider this risk is higher. The findings emerge from an investigation conducted by iVox, on behalf of the Burglary Prevention Platform.
The Burglary Prevention Platform is a new initiative to raise Belgians’ awareness as to the risks and consequences of a burglary at home. The Platform supports the government objective to considerably reduce the number of such unwanted annual visits.
Frédéric François, President of the Burglary Prevention Platform states, “A burglary often has a highly significant impact on victims.” He goes on, “Society is aware of the financial loss involved, but the emotional impact is still underestimated.”
iVOX has conducted an online survey with 1,000 Belgians, a representative sample across language, sex, age and qualifications. In addition to this sample 207 further Belgians, who have been victims of a burglary within the last five years, were questioned.
According to the survey, the average Belgian generally feels safe at home, assessing this sense of security with a “score” of 7.9 out of 10. Moreover, very few citizens consider that the risk of being burgled is high. However, amongst the victims of burglary questioned, 7 of out 10 admitted to not feeling safe after a burglary. The sense of security after a burglary thus on average goes down to 5.4 out of 10.
The study further shows that the majority of burglaries take place at night, between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Most of the time, the thieves gain access via a ground-floor window or door. Frédéric François concludes, “Even if the greatest costs following a burglary are related to the possessions stolen, the damage caused to the houses concerned also has considerable costs.”
The Brussels Times
