Home And Personal Security: Defending Your Home Against Burglars
Most of us keep our valuables in our homes, so obviously home and personal security is a crucial consideration in our daily lives. There are several strategies to help in keeping your home safe, some inexpensive and of the common sense variety, and others that require an additional investment of time and money. Following are some tips to consider in helping to keep your home secure from burglars.
Key security is crucial to maintaining the overall safety of your home. Any time you move into a new residence, the first thing you should do is immediately change all of the locks; the number of people who could have keys to your new residence (the realtor, a housekeeper or gardener, repairmen and contractors, delivery personnel, etc.) is a complete unknown and the potential to have your keys fall into the wrong hands is never higher. And obviously, if you lose your keys or they are stolen you need to change the locks immediately, as this can be the prelude to a burglary attempt.
Your lifestyle will play an important part in how you defend your home from potential criminals. If you live alone and are at work for much of the day, or if you travel frequently, you should consider asking a neighbor or friend to look after your house; burglars are attracted to homes that show obvious signs of being untended.
Passive defenses that fall under the heading of 'common sense' may be your first line of defense. Thieves look for easy targets first and foremost, so make your home last on their list. Abundant bright lighting and landscaping that allows clear sightlines from the street are two sure ways to deter thieves, who prefer a darkened target with compromised visibility. Also, do not advertise the potential spoils of a burglary; keep your garage closed and your easily portable outdoor equipment (expensive tools, bicycles and sporting goods, vehicle accessories) well out of sight.
Active defenses generally start with a good alarm system (or even a loud dog!). For the budget conscious, there are inexpensive alarm kits on the market that you can install yourself. At the higher end of the spectrum are subscription services that promise regular patrols and rapid response once an alarm is triggered. Make sure your alarm system is not too sensitive: an alarm that is constantly going off and subsequently ignored is worse than no alarm at all.
For home and personal security, a safe room or even a simple safe offers the strongest protection for your valuables. Home safe systems come in a wide variety of models, from stand-alone lock boxes to hidden wall-mounted safes. Choose a model that meets your needs for safety and at a budget you are comfortable with. The final word in safety for your most precious valuables is storage in a strong box at your local bank; you sacrifice convenience, but there is no surer way to keep your possessions safe from a burglar.
|
