Did you know that a burglar will spend 45 minutes deciding which home to break-in to, but only 3 minutes actually burglarizing a home. Want to prevent your home from becoming a target? Is so, you need to make your house less attractive to a thief. Why? A criminal looks for homes that are ‘easy scores’. Remember, they only spend 3 minutes in a home – they are looking for fast, easy and undetected entry and exit. Below is a list of 10 tips to keep your home off the hit list and to keep you and your family safe and free from crime.
1. Each exterior door should be a solid core and protected by a high-quality deadbolt, including the door from the garage into the home. Also, secure all windows with quality locks – even those on the second floor.
2. Invest in a home-security system with central monitoring. A thief doesn’t want attention drawn to them. An alarm system deters criminals, detects unauthorized entry and defends you and your home by notifying the central monitoring station and having the authorities dispatched.
3. Keep your home well lit at night. Turn on the porch light, landscaping lights and install motion sensors on exterior lights. Keep the landscaping near doors and windows well-trimmed. This eliminates hiding places. You can also plant thorny plants in front of windows.
4. Never leave your home unlocked and don’t “hide” spare keys outside! Consider installing a keypad lock on your front door to eliminate the need for keys. Install a padlock or cable lock to secure gates and fences around your home too.
5. Consider a remote entry/home-management security system. These systems enable you to access and control your security system from most smart phones and computers. You can monitor video surveillance cameras, arm and disarm the system, turn your lights on and off, adjust your thermostats, monitor movement in the home, even when the system is disarmed, and you can receive text or email messages to notify you when the system is armed and disarmed. These systems are ideal for working parents with children home alone after school, if you travel or are away from home for long periods of time, second homes, checking in on our elderly parents and many other applications.
6. If you’re going away, even for a quick weekend get-away, ask a neighbor to keep an eye on your house. Consider stopping paper and mail delivery; or have a neighbor collect them for you. Put lamps on timers and set them to turn on and off at different times. This gives the appearance that someone is home.
7. Don’t let your kids play outside alone! There is safety in numbers.
8. Never put your child’s name on clothes, jewelry, hats, back packs and other belongings that people can readily see.
9. Teach your children to never say “I am home alone” when they answer the phone. Have them let the call go to voicemail or, if they must answer the phone, to say “my mom and dad are busy and can’t come to the phone”. Also teach them the importance of not answering the door when they are home alone. Have a list of people they can call in an emergency and ensure they have all the contact information for each of them.
10. Have a fire escape plan, with multiple exits, and PRACTICE it on a regular basis.
For more safety tips, please visit our website at www.xpressprotection.com or call for your free, no obligation safety review at 480-213-7856.
Your Safety Is Our Top Priority!
Sounds like common sense right? You would be surprised to know how many people don’t have safeguards in their homes to prevent burglaries.