Protecting Your Home Against Crime
Basic Steps to Safeguard Property Against Burglaries
Sep 20, 2008
Protecting your home against crime consists of using some common-sense precautions that can deter a criminal from invading your property. Most criminals will look for the most easily accessible property and avoid those that have obviously taken steps to prevent entry.
Begin by thinking like a burglar and taking a walk around the outside of your home to spot any weakness that may attract a criminal. A checklist of changes should be made that will make a burglar think that someone is at home at all times. Inside the house, make an inventory and mark all-important items with a unique, permanent identification that makes it harder for a criminal to sell it. Take pictures of items and put them in a safe or safety deposit box.
Protecting Your Home with a Lived-in Look
Protecting your home by making it look lived-in begins by changing patterns of behavior.
- Instead of leaving on the same light upon departing your home, change the pattern by turning on a different light in a different room each time you depart.
- Put out a garbage can on pickup days and don’t leave empty garbage cans outside overnight.
- Use your answering machine message to say “I cannot come to the phone right now” instead of leaving a message that says you are not at home.
- If you don’t use an answering machine, turn down the ringer on the telephone so that it cannot be heard outside. A long-ringing telephone sound indicates that no one is at home.
- Newspapers and mail should not be allowed to build up on the property.
- If away for a longer period of time, ask a neighbor to park a car on the property from time to time.
- Don’t allow garden foliage to become overgrown, which can indicate to a burglar that the owners are away and that also provide a hiding place for an intruder.
Protecting Your Home by Repelling a Criminal
- A burglar will assume there is a dog is in the house or around the premises if they see a “Beware of the Dog” sign, a canine water bowl or a leash. There are also systems available that provide "electronic dogs" that begin barking at the sound of an intruder.
- Signs in the back and front of the house indicate that it is protected by a home alarm system.
- Install infrared lights that sense motion or heat when anyone comes close to them. There are also burglar horns that do the same thing.
Protecting Your Home Using Simple Security Measures
Think about opportunities or signs that indicate access to a criminal.
- Doors and windows should be kept shut, and keys should not be left in obvious places. Never leave a key to the house under a front door mat, flower pot, or window sill.
- Outside gates should be kept locked at all times.
- The front door should be visible from the street and not obscured by landscaping.
- Tools or ladders than can be used by a burglary to gain access should not be visible.
- Packaging from expensive new purchases should not be left on the street to attract the attention of a burglar.
The more difficult it is for a criminal to gain access to a property, the less likely will a home invasion take place. Putting a few obstacles in place can be an instant deterrent to a burglary attempt making for a safer, more secure lifestyle.
Sources:
- National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association: Safe and Sound: Your Guide to Home Security.
- National Sheriffs' Association: Preventing Burglaries: How to Protect Your Home.
 |
