Securing Rear and Perimeter Entry Points at Home

Criminals who target occupied homes increasingly use rear and side access points rather than the front door — particularly where a back fence, a farm road, or a lane provides a route that is not visible from the street. The front of a property is typically the most hardened and the most watched; the back is where security attention tends to drop. In the incident that prompted this tip, masked suspects entered through a rear boundary on Farm Road, confronting an elderly resident inside the home before being deterred, likely by the visible presence of CCTV cameras. The CCTV did not prevent entry — it prevented completion of the crime. That distinction is important: passive deterrents can interrupt an intrusion but are not a substitute for physical barriers. Treating the rear and side boundaries of your property with the same seriousness as the front door significantly changes the risk profile of your home.

Steps to follow:

• Inspect all boundary points at the rear and sides of your property — padlocked gates, fences, and access lanes — and identify which require reinforcement or better lighting.
• Install motion-triggered lighting at all rear and side entry points; darkness is the primary advantage criminals exploit when approaching from a non-street-facing boundary.
• Mount CCTV cameras so that rear access points are covered with visible, well-positioned units; camera housing that is clearly visible acts as a deterrent before entry is attempted.
• Connect your CCTV to a recording system that saves off-site or to the cloud so that footage survives even if the property is entered and equipment is taken.
• Alert all household members — especially elderly relatives — when they will be alone, and ensure they know not to open any door or engage with anyone who is not expected and verified.
• If you discover damage to a rear gate, fence, or access point, treat it as a potential surveillance probe and report it to police as well as informing your immediate neighbours.