Protect Your House
This is peak vacation time for families around the world. Unfortunately, that also means it is peak property crime time! There are simple ways that you can protect your home while you’re away. Double check this list from Protection One before heading out for the week — or weekend!
– A home that appears occupied deters burglars: Use timers to operate lights;
– Leave blinds and curtains in everyday positions;
– Turn your telephone ringer down, so no one outside can hear repeated rings;
– Review your answering machine. Make sure it does not imply you are away;
– Ask a friend to pick up newspapers and deliveries, or have deliveries stopped;
– Arrange for continuing yard care; and
– If your car is parked in the driveway, have a friend move it occasionally.
Protection One also suggests following these tips for securing your home year-round:
– To reduce the chance of easy entry, plant thorny bushes below first-floor windows and cut tree limbs away from second-story windows.
– Remove objects that might allow access to your home, such as ladders stored outside or trashcans that could be used to enter a window or scale a fence;
– To prevent intruders from hiding behind shrubs, trim bushes to expose branch structure;
– To illuminate vulnerable or isolated entries, install motion lights;
– Make it easy for emergency personnel to locate your home: Install easy-to-read and illuminated address numbers in a visible place.
– Always be aware of usual and unusual neighborhood activities and report suspicious behavior;
– Secure all windows, including those upstairs;
– Never leave a key hidden outside. Burglars know all the best places;
– Install peepholes, and screen your visitors;
– Ask to see identification from service and delivery people before letting them in;
– Install deadbolt locks on exterior entrances;
– Make sure smoke detectors work or consider adding monitored detectors;
– Keep emergency information by the telephone. Make sure houseguests also know where emergency numbers are located.
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