It’s every homeowner’s nightmare: on Monday evening, several masked men broke into a house in Eschweiler in northern Luxembourg and overpowered the occupants, stealing jewellery and cash before fleeing.

Tim Pauly, from the police’s National Crime Prevention Service, advises people how to react if confronted with intruders in their home, and what can be done to prevent burglaries.

If I find myself in a situation like the one on Monday evening in Eschweiler and people are suddenly in my home, what should I do?

Fortunately, something like this doesn’t happen very often, but nevertheless, it does happen from time to time.

In such cases, it is difficult to protect yourself in advance. I can’t say anything about the specific crime in Eschweiler, but the general rule is: if criminals with some prior knowledge want to break into a house, they will do so.

Most burglars are not looking for a confrontation. We are talking about aggravated burglary here, and the perpetrators either use a trick or force to gain access. Unfortunately, I have to say that there are not many ways to protect yourself against this.

So if it happens, should I try to run away or should I just obey?

It’s definitely best to do what these people say. They are usually after your belongings. You should hand it over to them instead of putting yourself in danger. They use threats and violence, and may have weapons with them. You never know whether they are real weapons or dummies. In such a state of fear, you should remind yourself that the safest course of action is to give them what they demand, in the hope that it will be over quickly.

It happens again and again that victims are ashamed because everything is in a mess and they then clean up before the officers arrive on the scene. This is absolutely not advisable

Tim Pauly

National Service for Crime Prevention SNPC

A scenario that often appears in police reports: a resident comes home and realises that burglars have been there. What is the right behaviour in such a situation?

If you come home and realise that a door or window has been broken into, you must immediately call the police on 113. Immediately! Under no circumstances should you enter the house. For one thing, you don’t know if anyone is still inside. In any case, you must wait outside for the police. It will be treated as an urgent call, and officers will arrive as quickly as possible.

Secondly, it is very important not to touch anything inside. Don’t clean or tidy up either! It happens again and again that victims are ashamed because everything is in a mess and they then clean up before the officers arrive. This is absolutely not advisable. Our forensic team makes a vital contribution to solving such crimes. DNA traces and fingerprints are not visible to the naked eye. Anyone who tidies up or touches things can very easily destroy important evidence.

What if I encounter a burglar in such a situation?

One situation that sometimes occurs is that people who work shifts sleep during the day while a burglar checks to see if anyone is at home. If the burglar rings the doorbell and you don’t hear it because you’re asleep, it can happen that the perpetrator thinks no one is at home and proceeds to break in. We advise people to make themselves noticed, make noise, switch on the light and shout: “I’m calling the police!” In the vast majority of cases, this is enough to scare the burglars off. As I said, the average burglar is not looking for a confrontation.

How do I know that I’m in the latter scenario and not the former, like in Eschweiler?

These types of aggravated burglaries are very rare. As I said, I don’t know anything about the case in Eschweiler. Generally speaking, if something like this happens, it’s with deliberately chosen victims. Normally, you can assume that the perpetrator will flee if you make your presence known, to avoid being caught.

The perpetrator is about to flee, what do I do?

The first step should always be to call the police emergency number 113. If you see the perpetrator, it’s important to keep your eyes open. Pay attention to their clothing. Do they get into a car? If so, what make is it, and if possible, note the licence plate number. But under no circumstances should you try to be a hero! Do not block the fleeing person’s path! A burglar may not be carrying a weapon, but they might have a spanner, which can also be used as a weapon and cause serious injuries.

About the National Crime Prevention Service

The police’s crime prevention service regularly organises information events in local communities. In addition, any resident can contact the team, whose officers will then drop by and give personalised advice on how to make a home or building more secure. “Every burglary is one too many,” said Pauly, “because it undermines the sense of security of both the victims and their neighbours.” Those interested or affected can contact the service at prevention@police.etat.lu or by calling 244 244 033.

You also advise citizens when it comes to burglary prevention, so what are the most common “mistakes” that play into the hands of burglars?

This question is very relevant at this time of year. Many people leave the house in the morning after pulling up the blinds and switching off all the lights. They don’t think about what the house looks like in the evening when it’s already dark at 17:00. When you drive past, you can see from a distance that there are no lights on and that the house is deserted. That’s an open invitation for burglars.

And what about apartments?

Many people make the mistake of simply closing their front door without locking it. This offers no protection against burglars. We keep reminding people to lock their front door properly. Nevertheless, people are always surprised at how easy it was for burglars to break into the house. The same applies to tilted windows.

And as far as apartment blocks are concerned: never open the door remotely to someone without going downstairs yourself to open the door – even if it’s the postman or a delivery man. Once a burglar is inside, they often go to the basement to break into storage rooms and will only gain access to an apartment after some time.

(This article was originally published by the Luxemburger Wort. Machine translated, with editing and adaptation by John Monaghan.)