Winter is fast approaching and with shorter days and longer nights on the horizon coupled with late working hours we leave ourselves vulnerable to intruders and break ins.
Fake TV
Now that the holidays are over and were all set to go back into routine it’s always good to know that everything we hold dear, is safe and sound, particularly our homes. Statistics from the home office have shown that burglaries and break ins are most likely to happen over the coming months. The question we all ask is how do I secure my home to minimise the risk of this ever happening? It’s usually the most obvious things that we forget and today its precisely them that we will be discussing.
A fake TV or TV Simulator is a novel solution; a small easy to use security feature that imitates the lighting features of a TV giving the impression someone is present in the home and watching tv.
Appearance is always the most important and that always starts from the exterior of the house. If your home looks like a target then your risk profile increases. Exterior lights are important and motion sensor lights are a great place to begin. Having these situated around the home, shed and garage can deter a burglar because they immediately draw attention to that area, making it a focus point. Without ringing alarm bells it simply highlights activity is going on in that area and any passer-by will naturally look towards it.
Alarm systems are a must but don’t advertise which alarm system you are using. Burglars often scope out a neighbourhood before they attempt any burglaries. They will look for any weak points or information that can help them and security system stickers go a long way in doing this. Stickers such as ‘protected by ADT’ offer valuable information to a burglar and rather than act as a deterrent they more often than not offer vital information on how to best tackle the problem of disabling a security system. By using a generic sticker the burglar is unaware of the system being used and is therefore unable to prepare.
Displaying items of value in the home only entices a burglar. Make sure all electronic devices and valuable items are hidden away and out of plain site. If a burglar can see something they like then they won’t hesitate breaking in to get it. Most thieves like to ‘smash and grab’ so having to look for items of value can deter them from ever entering.
Finally give the appearance that someone is home and never give away your routine knowingly. A thief likes to know when to best enter a home and your routine is a focal aspect of that. However if they think you are home it can eliminate the risk of entry. There are a number of security products on the market now that help with this problem. There is the traditional wired light timers that switch on at predetermined times. These can be a pain to install. Alternatively the new wireless light switch timers are easy to install and also do the same job.
Ensure you take every step possible to make a burglar think twice about targeting your home let alone breaking in and entering. The aim is to make your home less attractive to a burglar and this usually translates into a lower risk of burglary.