- Floodlights
- Supplemental lampposts
- Metal grate on basement window
- Shrubs trimmed below windows
- Motion-sensing automatic light
- Solid doors with dead-bolt locks
- Perimeter alarm links points of entry
- Reinforced patio door with sensor
- Motion detectors
- Lights and appliances on timers
- Bedside panic alarm
Last weekend he took his family on a three-day camping trip. He didn't tell his neighbors or local police he was leaving for the weekend. The night they returned home, John could tell something was wrong as he opened the garage door. His toolbox was missing, along with several bicycles. As he entered his house, he was shocked to see everything in the family room was missing. They had been robbed. This situation is hypothetical but proves robbery can happen to anyone.
Most people take home security for granted. Why wait until a robbery to take safety measures? A home may never be totally burglarproof, but it may be possible to discourage or even outwit a thief.
One way of protecting your home and family is to understand how a burglar thinks and works. According to the Police Department, most burglaries are committed by amateurs who are male and between 16 and 24 years old. They like quick, easy jobs and tend to be very impatient. They want to get in and out of a house quickly. They will not hesitate to use force to gain entry. Often a burglar tends to be from the same neighborhood as his victims. He has knowledge of the area and knows where to hide from police. There are ways to increase your security, both expensive and inexpensive.
No two homes are alike and the kind of security you need depends on several factors: the value of your home, where you live, your family's lifestyle, what you are prepared to pay for a security system. With or without police help, you can perform an audit on your home to size up its weak points:
* Is there a highly visible, well-lighted address on the front of your home? This helps emergency services locate the residence more quickly.
* A key-in-the-knob lock is completely inadequate for an exterior door. A dead-bold lock should be used. The cylinder guard should rotate; the bolt should be at least 1 inch long; there should be at least a five-pin tumbler (the key should have at least 5 notches); the entire lock itself should be made of hardened steel.
*If you choose to install the double cylinder dead-bolt lock, be sure to hide the key to the inside cylinder somewhere near the door; never keep it in the lock.
*The final item to consider for the door is a peep hole (if there is no window). The peep hole, with at least 190-degree angle, should be installed at the homeowner's eye level.
*Double-hung wood frame windows should be secured by installing a key-locking latch lock or by pinning the frame
*Sliding glass doors are usually a target for potential burglars. Self-tapping screws can be inserted straight upward into the top frame and adjusted so the sliding glass door can not be lifted upward and pulled out at the bottom. In addition, drill through the upper frame of the sliding glass door and halfway into the upper frame itself and insert a pin to prevent the door from sliding back and forth. Also, a lock can be placed on the door's lower frame.
*Shrubbery should not provide a cover for the potential burglar. Trim trees and shrubs so your neighbors can see the doors and windows to your house. Also, the potential burglar will not be able to hide stolen items in the shrubs and come back for them later.
* A phone is very important if a burglary should take place. Make sure at least one of your phones is located in the bedroom for easy access. A sticker with emergency numbers should be placed on the phone. When calling the police, say you are being burglarized "now" and remain on the phone so the dispatcher can relay information from you to the responding police crew.
*Finally, consider identifying valuables by engraving them with your Social Security number. Engrave the number in two places, one visible and one hidden.
Be prepared for the unexpected.
