Holiday Home Security Tips
The holidays are a special time when families and friends come together to celebrate the season. It is also the time of year where families and friends are most generous and practice the tradition of gift giving. It should be a joyous and happy time for all of us.
Unfortunately for us, home burglars view the holiday season a little differently. For them, it is a time of opportunity to burglarize your home for cash, credit cards, and all the new gifts of small electronics, computers, jewelry, and easily sold valuables.
Here are a few tips of what they look for when shopping for a house to burglarize. These tips will help you enjoy the holidays without incident.
Burglars look for an easy entry with good escape routes. Don’t openly display your Christmas tree and gifts in the front window so it’s easily visible from the street. It’s too tempting for them to smash the window and grab the wrapped packages.
Burglars look for occupancy cues like outdoor lights burning 24 hours a day, piled up newspapers, or advertising flyers hanging on the door knob. Use an inexpensive light timer when you are away and ask a neighbor to keep the front of your home clean of papers and debris.
Burglars know to look for the hidden door key near the front entrance. Don’t hide spare keys under rocks, in flowerpots, or above door ledges. Instead give the spare key to a trusted neighbor.
Burglars prefer to enter through unlocked doors or windows. Sliding windows that are not secure can be seen from distance. One holiday problem can occur when exterior Christmas light extension cords are run inside through a window and prevent it from being secured. Hire an electrician or handyman to install an inexpensive exterior outlet for your holiday lights.
Don’t post your family name on your mailbox or on you house. A burglar can call directory assistance to get your telephone number and call your home while in front of your house to confirm that you are away.
Don’t leave descriptive telephone answering machine messages like, “You’ve reached the Wilson’s…we’re away skiing for the Christmas holidays…please leave a message.” Burglars love to hear that they have plenty of time to break in and completely ransack your home.
After Christmas day, don’t pile up empty gift boxes from your new computer, DVD player, or stereo receiver on the street for the garbage man. Burglars appreciate knowing that you have expensive gifts inside for them to steal. Break them down or cut them up to conceal the items better. After a lucrative burglary, the chances of being burglarized again are increased to steal the new replacement products.
Last, but not least, fortify your home by installing solid core doors, heavy duty locks, longer screws in the lock strike plates and door hinges, and install secondary security devices on all accessible sliding windows.
Source: http://www.crimedoctor.com/
Home Security Tips
The following is basic advice to reduce your chance of suffering break-ins, property damage or loss. We do not want to see your home or business fall victim to a situation that could have been prevented.
Do not leave the inside lights on. When you are away on a trip, a burglar will watch for homes that have lights burning at odd hours or successive nights, clues that you are trying to outfox him.
Do not hide a key under the doormat, above the door, in the flower pots or window boxes, or in low shrubbery around the front door or porch.
Do not leave notes on the door, telling when you’ll be back. It’s another signal to burglars and they’ll know exactly how much time they have to do their dirty work.
Do not install a large pet entrance. Burglars have been known to squeeze through them to get into your home. If you have a pet entrance, make it smaller, or block it up while you’re away.
Do not tell pushy salespeople you have to leave. That may be just what they wants to hear. While you’re gone they may return and let themselves in.
Do not tell telephone survey people what you have. A burglar may be on the other end of the line trying to find out if it’s worthwhile to break into your home.
Do not let newspapers and mail pile up while you are out of town. The post office will hold it for you until you return.
Leave the radio on if you go out for a short time. Tune in a talk show or all-news station if there is one in your area. The burglar will have a hard time deciding if th voices are coming from the radio.
Cut breaks in your shrubbery. Prune the shrubs well so a burglar will find it difficult to hide behind them.
Keep your house keys on a separate ring. It’s a common trick for burglars to take jobs as parking lot attendants to have access to house keys to make quick copies.
Leave the car in the driveway when your out of town, if possible. If you have a garage, make sure the door is closed and windows are covered so no one can tell if it’s empty.
Call the Police or Sheriff to notify them of your absence. In small communities they will often check your property regularly.
Install and use deadbolt door locks and “pin” your easily accessible windows. A burglar usually doesn’t want to make a noise “breaking in.”
A nosy neighbor is a good neighbor. Let them know if you’re expecting anyone while you’re out.
Display your alarm system sign on the lawn and windows. Let the burglar know you have an alarm with a yard sign or window sticker. They will go look for easier targets of opportunity.
And get an alarm system if you don not have one now. Contact us today to find out how affordable one can be. Peace of mind, from Habitec Security.