Burglary season is back. According to the Home Office, 211,800 break-ins took place in 2022. This represents an increase of 11% compared to the previous year. But even more, these are very common in summer. For good reason, many French people go on vacation in July or August. Indeed, according to a study carried out by the tourism development agency Atout France, 73% of French people plan to leave their main residence for a few days this summer.
In the third quarter of 2022, which corresponds to the months of July, August and September, the Ministry of the Interior recorded nearly 53,889 burglaries. For July and August 2022, more than 18,000 residential thefts are recorded for each month. To deal with this increase in crime, the government published advice last summer on how to avoid becoming a victim.
To prevent burglary attempts, it is necessary to remain vigilant. The Ministry of the Interior has published a guide to the application of good reflexes to take on a daily basis. Among them is the need to protect your access. “Equip your door with a reliable closing system, a means of visual control (eyepiece), an ajar”, specifies the site. You can also choose to opt for additional equipment such as programmed lighting or the presence detector, allowing you to be alerted of the intrusion of a burglar into your home.
A good reflex to take, and that few people think of applying, is to take photographs of your valuables. “In the event of theft, your pictures will facilitate both the research carried out by the police and the compensation made by your insurer”, specifies the writing of the ministry. Finally, before leaving on vacation, it is advisable that you tell a member of your family. It is more prudent that your home still seems inhabited when you leave it for a few days.
But for the summer period, in addition to the advice provided, the Ministry of the Interior provides you with a free device. What does it consist on ?
When you go on vacation, it is possible to report your departure to the police station or the gendarmerie. “As part of their daily missions, the security forces will be able to monitor your home”, specifies the website of the Ministry of the Interior. This device is entitled “Operation Tranquility Holidays”. Founded in the 1970s, this system is completely free.
Since 2009, “Opération Tranquility Vacances” has even been available for all school holidays. “Patrols are organized to pass around your home. You will be notified in the event of anomalies (damage, burglary, etc.),” specifies the public service site. But how to register to benefit from this device?
There are two ways you can sign up for the vacation watcher. You can do it online through the FranceConnect platform. This will also allow you to know if you depend on a police or gendarmerie service. The request must be made three days before your departure for the departments managed by the police. For the gendarmerie brigades, registration must be made no later than the day before your departure. “Once the online process is completed, you are not informed of how the surveillance is going. You are contacted by the police or the gendarmerie only if the patrol finds something suspicious”.
You can also apply on site. You must then complete an individual application form to print and return to the police station no later than three days before your departure. For the inhabitants of Paris and the inner suburbs, you can go directly to the site of the Paris police headquarters in the section “Help you”, then “Prevention actions” which takes you to that of “register for an operation”.
