Many people who live and work in towns and cities such as London, the Medway towns, Bromley, Orpington, Dartford and so on, yearn to move out into the country for the “quiet life.”

However, when you look at some of the crime statistics for the villages in Kent, it turns out that life in the country may not be quite as quiet as people like to think.

Take the area around Cranbrook, Tenterden, Biddenden, and Sissinghurst for example. Tenterden and Cranbrook are small country towns, while Biddenden and Sissinghurst are villages.

Crime statistics for Kent

The shocking news is that this area suffered no less than 930 crimes between March 2014 and February 2015. After antisocial behaviour, violence and sexual offences, domestic burglary came a close third with 132 cases recorded by Kent police.

In February this year alone, there were 11 burglaries. The number of burglaries per area:

• Tenterden: 1
• Biddenden: 1
• (Near) St.Michaels: 2
• Sissinghurst: 3
• Cranbrook: 4

You might think that cases involving drugs, vehicle theft or possession of an offensive weapon would be high on the list. However, over the year in question, there were only 14 drugs offences, 64 vehicle crimes and not a single one for weapon possession.

Lack of security makes you a target

It may well be that thieves are targeting homes that have no security, because they are easy to break into, and the likelihood of getting caught is not great. Looking at all crimes over the year, police recorded “no further action” in just over 80 percent of them.

"Investigation complete. No suspect identified" was the result in 430 cases and a further 140 were recorded as, "unable to prosecute the suspect."

In fact, of the 930 recorded crimes, just 30 offenders were dealt with at court, and five of those defendants were found not guilty. Only two offenders were sent to prison!

So if you are a burglar out in the “quiet” Kent countryside, and you break into a home and steal the contents, you only have a one in five chance of getting caught. (Even then you probably wouldn't end up in jail!)

No wonder thieves are targeting domestic property.

Unprotected and vulnerable

Quite obviously, thieves will usually target homes which are unprotected and have no security. If they can see a burglar alarm and security lighting, it is going to make their job a whole lot more difficult than breaking into the home next door which doesn’t have any.

You might think that because you live down a quiet country lane, burglars are not likely to come looking for you, but the statistics prove otherwise.

In terms of crimes per thousand of the population – a statistic used frequently – it seems that you may be more likely to be burgled than if you lived in a busy town.

The answer is to take every precaution you can in order to protect your home and belongings. You don’t want to become a part of the crime statistics in this area.

Maximise your home security today

Find out how you can maximise your home security with a free survey from Spy Alarms. Receive professional advice on the best ways to safeguard your property.

Spy have been installing and servicing alarm systems across Kent from their previous headquarters in Sevenoaks for over 30 years. As part of our expansion we've moved to larger premises in Orpington, but don't worry, we still cover other Kent towns too!