ASSA ABLOY: Swedes insecure in their homes
Just 15% of Swedes feel that their homes are burglar-proof. This is a new low, far below the European average of 28%. The British feel safest in their homes, despite the highest break-in statistics in Europe.
Another negative point for the Swedes is that those who suffer a break-in remain passive. As many as 39% do nothing to improve their home security. This was unheard of in the other countries surveyed. Most Europeans who suffer a break-in choose to improve their home security. The most common measure is a new lock on the outer door, a security alarm or window locks.
"The results surprise me in many ways," says Lars Asklöf, security information officer at SecurityPoint in Sweden. "One conclusion is, unfortunately, that Swedes feel less secure in their homes than other Europeans. Which makes it strange that so few people take preventive action."
According to the report, Swedes also have a darker view of the future than other Europeans. An astonishing 63% believe the number of home burglaries will increase in the future. British and Dutch respondents had a much brighter perspective on that front, where the corresponding figures are just 34% and 29% respectively.
The report also shows that 76% of Swedes are dissatisfied with how politicians are dealing with crime. Only Poland shows greater displeasure with political measures against crime. Swedish politicians also get much poorer marks than the Swedish police; about half of all Swedes think the police are doing a poor job. Not surprisingly, those who are most critical to the political and police measures are those who feel most insecure in their homes.
About the survey
The home-security survey is based on 7,000 telephone interviews in seven European countries: the UK, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, France, Spain and Sweden. If you like to look at the whole survey, please send an e-mail lars.asklof@assaabloy.com.
The home-security survey is based on 7,000 telephone interviews in seven European countries: the UK, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, France, Spain and Sweden. If you like to look at the whole survey, please send an e-mail lars.asklof@assaabloy.com.
For further information, please contact:
Mariann Eriksson, Manager Corporate Communication at ASSA ABLOY, phone +46 (0)706 87 33 31
SecurityPoint is an international initiative by locks group ASSA ABLOY. The aim is to enhance knowledge of home security and create a forum and data bank for professionals and consumers who are interested in security matters.