Retrofit Better Burglary Protection

It's unsettling how fast an experienced burglar gets through a window without security fittings. Someone who knows what they're doing can lever one open with a screwdriver or crowbar in under a minute. Smashing the glass would seem obvious, but the statistics say it's rare. Too loud, too visible.

Especially in areas where the burglary rate is high, it makes sense to look into window burglar protection. You have various options available:

• Replace the old window with a new one.
• Retrofit the existing window with better fittings.

The first option is, as you'd expect, considerably more expensive than the second. We improve your windows by swapping old fittings for ones in a higher resistance class. An Abus window lock or a window grille can help too.

Securing your windows buys time, and time is what a burglar doesn't have. Thieves go for the windows that open easily, because the longer they're at it, the more likely someone notices.

A door is what keeps uninvited guests out of your home. Like windows, an apartment door can be upgraded after the fact. You have a few options:

• Door lock: same principle as a bike: "a good lock stops thieves." The key part is the cylinder, which is what actually locks the door. Most doors come with a basic one that offers little protection, and there are far more secure cylinders available. Swapping a basic lock for a better one is the simplest and cheapest upgrade there is.
• Door chains: Door chains or security brackets are practical, allowing you to open the door only a crack.
• Security bars: to stop a door being kicked in, a security bar spanning the full width of the door is the strongest option.
• Striker plates and security hardware: Simple measures can make it harder to pry a door open.

Berlin has twelve districts, and break-ins are common across most of them. Burglars are especially active in Mitte, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Pankow, Neukölln and Tempelhof-Schöneberg.

In Berlin Mitte, there were around 35,000 burglaries in 2022. In Reinickendorf, there are around 10,000.

In other words: there's a real chance it happens to you. Most people only act after they've been burgled once. Given what a break-in does to your sense of safety at home, it's worth acting before.

Better to make your home hard to break into before anything happens. And you don't have to work out what's needed on your own. XK-Schlüsseldienst helps you improve the protection on your flat or house.