Good neighbours key to home security

A new nationwide survey commissioned by AMI reveals that Kiwis have great neighbourhood connections that could emerge as the key to combating residential petty crime.

Women and seniors over 65 are currently shown to be doing more than any other group in contributing to neighbourhood security.

About 54 percent of seniors tend to mind neighbours’ homes when they are away, which is nearly a third more than people aged 25-44. They are also the most likely to keep in touch with neighbours and participate in coordinated neighbourhood watch activities.

The strength of community connection appears to be closely tied with home ownership, with one in five homeowners claiming to know their neighbours very well, compared to only one in twelve renters. Nearly twice as many homeowners say they look after their neighbours’ homes when they’re away (40 percent) compared to renters who take on that role (21 percent).

AMI Executive General Manager Customer, Wayne Tippet, says that getting to know your neighbours can be an important part of the home security toolkit.

“Our data shows a 20 percent drop in residential theft and vandalism-related claims from 2019 to the post-Covid year of 2023. This correlates with the period that New Zealanders were spending more time at home.

“We often think of extra home security as deadlocks, guard dogs and fancy alarms, but you cannot underestimate the power of a community keeping watch. In this way, being a great ally to the people next door can be just as important.”

Tippet says that break-ins, theft and accidental damage claims increase on average by around 10 percent on long weekends, compared to regular weekends. So, alerting your trusted neighbours to your movements to help step up security while you’re away, is a smart idea.

“We know from widespread research that people that foster strong community ties, like contributing to neighbourhood watch, for example, tend to experience lower crime rates.”