The ever increasing price of precious metals across the world is having a profound effect on crime figures in the UK. Many cases of copper and lead thefts from railway lines and public buildings have hit the headlines over the last few months, now homeowners are being warned to ensure their home owner insurance policies are up to date and fully comprehensive as the thieves target private homes in their quest for easy pickings.
Soaring precious metal prices
The price of gold and silver is at record highs and thieves have not been slow to realise how they can benefit. Watches and other jewellery items are comparatively easy for the burglar to carry away and last month’s British Crime Survey revealed that burglaries across the UK had risen by almost 100,000 compared to the previous 12 months.
High value technology items also targeted
Gold is proving particularly tempting for the thief because of its high value at the moment and homeowners should bear this in mind when getting a home insurance quotation. A lot of families collectively own quite a large amount of jewellery and the hike in prices means that policy cover arranged just a couple of years ago may now be massively undervalued. In the same period, the introduction of a new tier of smart phones and computer tablets costing considerable amounts of cash also means many homes could now be under insured.
Law change required to stop the thieves
The problem for homeowners and police forces is the ease in which the criminals can get rid of their ill gotten gains. Selling gold online or on the high street for cash has never been easier, and police officers believe this is encouraging thieves to increase their activities. They are now putting the activities of scrap metal companies under the microscope and believe that the way to discourage the crime wave may be to stop scrap metal transactions being made in cash. It will not be easy and in the meantime homeowners should increase their home security levels and ensure their home insurance providers are giving them the cover they require.
