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Tips to Keep
Your Home Secure
#1. Keep
your doors and gates closed and locked. Of
course you may want to enjoy a nice day and let
in a breeze, but keep the storm door locked if
the main door is open.
#2. When you are not at home,
leave a radio or stereo on that can be heard
from the front door (and back door if possible)
that makes it sound like you are home. Leaving a
radio on can be a very inexpensive deterrent.
#3. At night, keep your drapes closed on front
windows that people can see into from the
street. If a criminal can drive down the street
and see you watching TV or reading a book by
yourself, they may think you are an easy mark.
If you must have the drapes open at night do so
on back yard windows or windows that are not
convenient for anyone walking or driving down
the street to see into.
#4. Keep your garage doors closed at all times.
Tools, lawn mowers and other items can "grow
feet" and disappear when garage doors are left
wide open for burglars to go "shopping"
#5. Put up a small sign that says "no handbills
or flyers" on your front door. When flyers are
stuck on your door in the early morning after
you leave for work, criminals can cruise the
neighborhood late in the afternoon to see what
houses still have flyers on the door which might
make the burglar think you are still at work and
have not yet returned home. "Free" or "Sample"
newspapers thrown in your yard after you go to
work or leave for the day might also serve as
"markers" for someone casing the neighborhood
late in the afternoon. If you find a sample
paper in your yard and are not interested, call
the company and tell them to stop throwing them
at your address. If you are retired or work at
home, check your yard and door for a flyer
and/or paper when you get your mail or around
noon so you can remove it.
Tips to Help Keep You Safe
When Arriving Home
#1. If you are driving home from
work or the store, and you have any reason to
believe there is someone who may be following
you home, drive past your house and go to the
nearest fire or police station, or call 911. DO
NOT PULL INTO YOUR DRIVEWAY OR GARAGE IF YOU
SUSPECT SOMEONE MAY HAVE FOLLOWED YOU HOME
BECAUSE THEY MAY BE ABLE TO BLOCK YOUR EXIT. If
there is a car behind you as you arrive home and
you are not sure, drive past your house and
drive around the block before going home to see
if they keep following you. If they follow you,
at least they will not find out where you live
if you initially drive past your house.
#2. If you have a garage with a
door into your house, close the garage door
before you turn off, unlock and get out of your
car. A purse snatcher or thief can duck under
your garage door as it is closing and if this
happens at least you will still be locked in
your car and possibly can reverse the garage
door and back the car out.
#3. If you have a garage that
does not have an internal door into your house,
walk to your front door and unlock it before you
start carrying groceries or packages in. If you
are standing at your door fumbling for the keys
to unlock it with an armload of groceries or
packages you are more vulnerable.
Going On Vacation or
Taking a Trip?
Turn the telephone down or the ringer off. If someone is at your
door or around your home and they hear an
unanswered phone or one that consistently rings
a long time before the answering machine picks
up, this can tip them off.
Never
leave a message on your machine that says you
are out of town. Just check your messages
remotely while you are gone
Don't just arrange for your mail to be picked up. The majority of
people remember to stop the mail and the
newspaper but sometimes forget they have a
pre-set delivery that may be left at the
door. You don't want a box of DVD's or a cheese
of the month assortment sitting on your front
porch for days or a week.
Don't have a predictable pattern. Replace standard timers with
timers that have a random setting, which are
fairly inexpensive. These handy gadgets turn the
lights inside your house on and off at
various intervals. Put a timer on your porch
light so it does not stay on 24 hours a day.
This is a major flag for burglars if a porch
light is on around the clock.
Lock up your valuables. If you have family heirlooms or valuables
such as rings or watches, consider using either
a small home safe or a safe-deposit box. If you
choose a safe, be sure to bolt it to the floor
so thieves can't make off with it
Mow the grass before you leave. Arrange for someone to mow the lawn
while you're on vacation. A lawn that needs
attention can encourage thieves.
Shovel snow if that is a possibility in your region. Nothing says
you are away better than the absence of footprints
in the snow. Ask someone to standby to clear
your walk and driveway of the white stuff while
you're away. Or at least come over and walk
around to leave tracks on your front steps and
sidewalk.
Put your pet to work. Instead of taking your dog to the kennel,
hire a sitter to come by and feed and care for
him or her. A barking dog can help deter a
burglar. This would mainly apply to a larger
breed with a solid bark!
Consider an electronic barking-dog alarm. These devices usually
include timers and have various sized dog barks
you can pre-select. Some have sensors that can
detect an approaching person through walls and
even brick.
Remember the simple stuff. Statistics show many burglars enter
through an open window or unlocked door. Be sure
to lock doors, secure windows, and have security
in the garage. Engage a garage door lock if
available. Make a list and check safety items
off your to-do list before you leave.
Ask a neighbor for help. Neighbors can make your home look occupied
by parking in your driveway or putting trash
cans out at the curb on pickup days. Offer to
return the favor when they're out of town.
Neighbors helping neighbors is what it's all
about to increase safety in your neighborhood!
View our Tips to Keep
Your Automobile Secure here
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