Although in the last decade there’s been a drop in apartment robberies, the total number of such crimes remains rather high. Latvian State Police registered 1 700 robberies last year. 650 robberies have been registered this year so far.
Data from State Police indicate that the most often robbers gain entry to a home by breaking the lock, the door or by picking the lock. Other times robbers enter homes by breaking the window or entering an unlocked one. However, often the cause for apartment robberies is people’s own absent-mindedness.
«Data indicates that 10 – 14% of robberies happen because of unlocked doors or free access to homes.
This means home owners could have prevented the crime with simple measures like locking the door or not leaving the entrance door open,» says Chief of Main Public Order Police’s Preventive Department of Latvian State Police Andis Rinkevics.
«Thinking of what we can do to protect our homes from robbers, we can look to two directions – long-term and short-term solutions. First of all, there are things we can do to help increase overall security. This means not leaving valuables on display and closing windows when you’re done airing rooms. Residents should also pay attention and make sure the door to their home is locked. No less important is keeping your absence from home a secret from strangers, including repair workers, couriers or distant acquaintances. All of these people can potentially leak this information to criminals. As for the long-term perspective, it is necessary to think about more serious security measures, such as alarm systems and security cameras. Being on good terms with neighbours can also help keep your property safe,» recommends Gjensidige Latvija manager Sanita Glovecka.
Statistics show that most robberies in Latvia take place in the biggest cities. Riga is the uncontested leader in this regard. The districts at risk the most in Riga include Ķengarags, Āgenskalns and Maskavas district, whereas the safest districts in this regard are Čiekurkalns, Ziepniekkalns and Jugla.