Burglary Prevention Tips
(Part Two.)
Burglary Prevention Tips – What does The Burglar See?
Old advice but golden advice nonetheless. Take a look over your home, whether it is a mansion, a house, an apartment or just a room, and look with the eyes of a burglar.
Don’t just say yeah, yeah, I’ve read that before.
Do it, really do it and take your time doing it, think of any possible ways that a burglar could breach your security.
What does the burglar see when he looks at your home?
A nice easy target, or a home for him to avoid?
Have a pen and a notepad with you, or an iPad or whatever.
Note down all the ideas that come to you, no matter how crazy.
Just note them down, think them through later.
Use the what if method. What if a burglar got on the roof of my home? How could he get in? What if this, what if that?
Putting into practice the burglar prevention tips on this page and others you read elsewhere will make your home more secure and your loved ones safer. But your home is unique, there is not another exactly the same.
You have to discover your home’s particular weak points and what you can do about them.
Look at other homes, just a casual look as you walk by, don’t get mistaken for a burglar. What can you see that the owners have done to make it hard for the burglar?
How have they hardened their homes? Can you do the same? Can you do it better?
Maintaining Your Home In Good Condition Is A Deterrent To Burglars.
Is your home looking cared for?
It is important that it is. You may think that a thief would pass on a home that looks uncared for, reasoning that the occupants are probably not affluent and therefore don’t have stuff worth stealing.
Wrong. Robin Hood is dead.
 A security survey of your home and burglary prevention tips may be available from your local police department. |
Burglars steal from the poor as much as they steal from the rich.
They reason that a home that is not maintained properly probably does not have much in the way of home security either.
It doesn’t take much, and costs nothing, to keep your front yard tidy.
Your front door should not only be solid and in good condition it should also look solid and in good condition.
If it needs painting, paint it.
Burglary Prevention Tips – Windows.
Sliding glass windows need the same security measures as sliding glass doors.
Fit Key Operated Locks to all Windows; most windows are fitted with only latches as standard. Latches are a poor deterrent to the burglar. Remember that upstairs windows are also vulnerable and need locks.
|
Even very small windows such as bathroom windows need locking; a burglar can get in through any opening larger than his head. Remove keys from locked windows whilst you are out and keep them in a safe place. |
Louver ( jalousie) windows are particularly at risk because the slats can be easily removed. Fit a special louver lock or replace them with fixed glass.
Don’t leave keys (including your car keys) within sight of windows.
Burglary Prevention Tips – Going On Vacation And Business Trips.
If you are going to be away from your home for some time one of the best things that you can do is to make your property appear to be occupied. Don’t leave any clue that you are away.
Just before you leave for a vacation mow your lawn, and if possible arrange for a trusted neighbor to keep your grass trimmed while you are away.
Contact the post office and have them hold your mail. Cancel newspaper deliveries and have a neighbor regularly check your mailbox for flyers. Ask a neighbor or friend to take out your trash can on garbage collection day, and take the can back in later.
Divert your home phone number to your cell phone. Don’t leave any clue on your answer phone machine message that you are on vacation.
Tell trusted neighbors how long you will be away and to call the police if they notice anything at all suspicious.
If possible arrange for someone to act as a house sitter if you’re away from your home for a long time.
Burglary Prevention Tips – Don’t Offer Temptation (don’t make it easy.)
Don’t Hide a Spare Key under a mat, under a rock, in a flower-bed or any place else that you think that a burglar will never find it . . . because it will be found, burglars know all of the places to look.
Don’t ever leave a note on your door saying “Back in 5 Minutes” “Gone to the store” etc.
When you acquire new electronic, or other expensive items, don’t leave the packaging on show for collection.
Cut the packaging up and put it in a black plastic garbage bag. That way you are not advertising to the thief that you have something he might want to deprive you of.
Do not leave ladders unsecured in your garden or anywhere on your property. Lock them away, or chain and lock them, otherwise a burglar will make full use of them to enter your home.
The same goes for garden tools or any other kind of tools. A garden spade for example could be used like a crowbar to force open a window or door. Lock your tools away in a shed with good quality strong locks as soon as you have finished with them.
The Social Media Danger.
|
Be very careful about your use of social media, such as Twitter, Facebook and similar. It’s so very easy to post too much information. It is very simple for burglars to glean a snippet from here and a snippet from there. Before you know it, they know the times of the day when your home is likely to be empty, they know what tempting goodies you have, because you crowed on Facebook about your new home cinema. Then there was all those posts you made about your upcoming vacation. And burglars are not the only ones who have an interest in your social media activities; Identity Thieves are very interested too. |
Burglary Prevention Tips – Other Things You Can Do.
It is always unwise to open your door without knowing who is calling. Install a Door Viewer (peephole) with a wide-angle lens – this will enable you to see who is standing outside your door without opening it.
Place the viewer at a height that everyone in your household can use.
|
When moving into a new home change all the locks. The family that you bought the home from may be honest but you don’t know how many copies of keys have been made, or who has them.
|
A security survey of your home and burglary prevention tips may be available from your local police department. Call them and ask.
Make out a list of the serial numbers of your items such as TV sets, PCs, cameras etc. Store this list in a safe place.
Photographing your more valued possessions is an excellent way to keep a record of what you own.
Engrave, or write with an ultraviolet pen, your zip code or driver license number on your possessions. This will make it easier for police to return recovered stolen items, and putting a sticker on them saving that they are marked makes them less desirable to steal.
If your area has a neighborhood watch scheme, join it. If it doesn’t organize one.
Home Security Articles
>
Burglary Prevention Tips.
Color Security Cameras
Color security cameras are now very affordable and are fast becoming
the homeowners’ number one choice for their home security systems.