Home Security
Your home is considered a sanctuary where you should feel safe but is your home really safe once you leave? According to the FBI, a burglary occurs somewhere in the United States every 15.4 seconds and occurs during the daytime when most people are away at work or school. But you do not have to be a victim, follow the below tips to help minimize your risk by making your home unattractive to potential burglars.
• Change all the locks and alarm passwords when you move into a new house.
• Your house should appear occupied at all times. Use timers to switch lights and radios on and off when you’re not at home.
• All exterior doors should be solid-core doors with heavy-duty dead bolts installed in a sturdy frame with long screws so they can’t be kicked open.
• If you lose your keys, change the locks immediately.
• Planting thorny shrubs, rosebushes or cacti around the outside of your home can discourage burglars from entering your property.
• Instead of keeping a spare key in a mailbox, under the doormat, or on a nail behind the garage, wrap the key in foil — or put it in a 35mm film can — and bury it where you can easily find it if you need it.
• Don’t leave notes for service people or family members on the door. These act as a welcome mat for a burglar.
• Keep all points of entry to your home well-lit. Consider installing motion-sensor lights on the rear and sides of your home and position them in out-of-reach places so they can’t easily be turned off by a would-be thief.
• Talk to your neighbors about any suspicious people or strange cars you notice lurking about.
Home security starts with you and creating a safe home environment includes more than just installing good locks on your doors or setting up security systems. It is important to make sure all members of the family are educated on the importance of security. Use common sense, always remember to lock the doors, be alert for suspicious activity and never answer the door for someone you don’t know.
