Property Protection Guidelines

Protecting your residence is first and foremost your responsibility. While law enforcement does provide a valuable service they cannot be everywhere, and burglaries still occur all the time. Your home should be your sanctuary, a place where you can feel safe with your family and store your possessions. Although rates of burglary are on the rise during these tough economic times there is no reason you cannot make your home as secure as possible by taking some simple, common sense measures that many people overlook. Criminals are looking for easy scores,they search for homes that are not secure. By taking some small measures you can greatly reduce your chance of being a victim.

The first place a criminal will try to get in your home will be your doors. It makes sense since it is the most logical entry point. The most effective thing you can do to prevent this from happening is to keep your home locked up at all times whether you are home or not. You would be surprised how many people forget to do this and it is a major security risk. Many criminals will go door to door on a false premise to check and see if anyone has left them unlocked. Once you master remembering to lock your doors you should invest in making them more secure. A high quality deadbolt lock that is at least one-inch high and a metal box strike inside of your metal doors is ideal. This will deter most intruders and if you’ve remembered to lock your door they will not be able to kick it in with out a substantial amount of effort. Most likely they will move on to the next house if the other areas of your home are secure. Another cheap and easy security measure is peephole with at least a 160 degree field of view so you can see who is knocking on your door before you let them in.

Another common security vulnerability is sliding glass doors and windows. Putting in a simple broom stick or other rod will greatly increase your security. Also be sure to maintain the latches on sliding doors and windows. Additional measures for this type of vulnerability include home security systems and pet dogs.

Windows can be another major vulnerability in addition to doors. Every effort should be taken to eliminate windows that are easily accessible. Some things that can be done to eliminate this threat is to avoid leaving tools, such as ladders, unsecured on your property. Also you can use anti-lift devices on windows to prevent them from being opened and secure any window air conditioning units you may have.

It is important that you keep your plants and trees trimmed. The reason for this is because tree branches can act as easy pathways to often unsecured second story windows and high shrubs can serve as hiding places for burglars while they are attempting to gain entry. Along this same vein you should keep your yard properly illuminated. Exterior lights with timers or motion sensors placed near entryways and walkways are important for both safety and security. It is suggested that you get lights that have at least 100-feet of visibility.

In addition to taking all of these other security measures, a home alarm system can be a great tool for security. They are only effective though if they are used properly, just like the locks on the doors if you don’t use them they are ineffective. Verify that it is properly installed and that your call list is updated. Also it is a good idea to place a sign or sticker somewhere visible on your property stating that you have a security system installed. Remember it is always better to deter crime — prevention is our motto, you are trying to protect yourself and your family, not be Dirty Harry.

None of these systems are fool proof but by using a combination of these techniques you can greatly increase your overall security and prevent most break-ins. Good security takes constant vigilance and there is no magic bullet but by implementing these measures and procedures on a daily basis you can achieve a high level of security.