Heritage security - smash and grab attacks

Smash-and-grab attacks at heritage properties are a growing problem. 

Attacks are typically carried out at speed, using extreme force to break doors or windows. Burglaries are usually carefully planned, targeting portable high-value items that may be stolen to order.  

Thieves aim to get in and out of a property as quickly as possible. Some ignore alarms altogether, assuming they’ll be long gone before police arrive. Others plan their entry and exit to evade detection.  

• If the property is open to the public, think about putting portable valuable items in a safe or strongroom outside of opening times.  
• Check with insurers that any safes or strongrooms are fit for purpose. 
• Display items in attack-resistant cabinets. Use laminated/security glazing. Cabinet frames, locks and hinges should be designed to resist physical attacks. 
• Be alert to hostile reconnaissance. Watch out for visitors acting suspiciously, such as studying windows and doors or looking for security cameras and alarms. 
• If staff spot anyone acting suspiciously they should discreetly call for help. If safe, staff might engage with suspicious visitors, deterring thieves by making them worry about being remembered. But if staff ever feel at risk, they should avoid directly approaching individuals and call the police. 

• Watch out for vehicles parked in laybys, gateways and other hidden places and record the details. Ask neighbours to report suspicious activity. 
• Make sure virtual tours on your website don’t give away the location of security systems, such as intruder alarms and CCTV. 
• Restrict vehicle access to the site and locate parking as far from the main property as possible. The further thieves have to walk, the greater the risk of detection and the less they can carry. 
• Make sure gateways and other entry points are well lit and gates are well secured. Secure gates using good-quality hardened steel locking bars and closed shackle padlocks. Think about installing security bollards at ungated vehicle entry points. Telescopic bollards can be lowered and raised as needed. 
• Review doors and windows. Windows that open should be fitted with opening restrictors, limited to 100mm, and locked when closed. Internal shutters or collapsible security grilles can also be a good preventative. Don’t overlook upper-floor windows: thieves can bring ladders. 
• External doors should be made of solid hardwood or solid core and secured by good-quality mortice deadlocks (or suitable alternatives). Talk to a master locksmith, your local police crime reduction officer or your property insurer for further advice. Don’t forget about door frames - these need to be of equal strength to the door they support.

An intruder alarm can provide early detection of unauthorised access. If you already have one, review the coverage to make sure the system properly covers potential access points. Target areas where there are lots of valuables. 

If you need an automatic police response to remote signalling systems, intruder alarms need to be designed and installed to meet the requirements of “the National Police Chiefs Council policy on police response to security”. Take advice on this.  

As well as remote signalling, intruder alarms should have local audible sounders, activated automatically. A loud alarm noise can be an effective deterrent in itself. 

Intruder alarm systems must be maintained under an annual contract. Systems can be designed to provide zonal coverage, meaning the alarm can be on in some parts of the property but off in others. 

Get further guidance from alarm installers and property insurers. The National Security Inspectorate (NSI) and the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB) are leading certification bodies and provide search tools on their websites to help you find certified installers nearby. 

CCTV