WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011
Whether you are just returning from a sunny, tropical paradise or from Grandma’s cozy kitchen, the last thing you want to find when you come home is that you have been a victim of burglary. But that is what happens to someone in the United States every 14.6 seconds. Burglary accounts for more than 75% of all property crimes in the US. So what can you do to protect yourself and your home?
- Outside your home, install exterior lights that work on a timer or photo cell, and perhaps install some lights with motion-sensors which can startle trespassers enough to scare them off.
- If you are leaving home for more than a day or two, ask a neighbor or friend to mow the lawn during summer or to shovel walks and driveways during winter so that it looks like someone is home.
- Post offices will hold your mail or ask a neighbor to collect it for you; stop your newspaper deliver and ask someone to remove any flyers from your door.
- Further protect the exterior of your home by keeping the trees and shrubs trimmed around doors and windows so that burglars are not shielded from sight, allowing them time to gain entry.
- Have good solid locks and remember to always use them. More than half of intruders gain access through unlocked doors. Don’t keep an extra key on the property either, as criminals can find them fairly easily.
- If you have a security system, become comfortable using it and turn it on whenever you leave. Of homes with security systems that were burglarized, 41% were not activated. Most alarm companies have trial settings which allow you to familiarize yourself with your system without setting it off.
- Inside your home, place several lamps on inexpensive timers which are available at most supermarkets and home improvement stores. Stagger the times for the lights to turn on and off and place the lamps near windows which are visible from the street or backyard.
- Leaving your blinds or curtains tightly shut can signal that you are not home, so in some rooms, slightly open window coverings. Choose rooms that do not have high-priced target items in them.
- Finally, don’t advertise your absence through social media or to a lot of people. Tell only trusted friends and neighbors that you will be gone so they can keep a watchful eye over your property.
Doing these few simple things will greatly increase your chances of returning to safe and secured home.
By Matt Reynolds - Google+
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