In an ideal world, people wouldn’t have to worry about their home’s security; they could wander away at any hour of the day and know that their family and belongings will be safe and sound. Unfortunately, this isn’t the world we live in. Home security is a multi-faceted concept that involves knowledge, security measures, and practices. The following will examine some of the things that you can do to increase your home’s security and privacy.
Before we dive in, it’s important that if you have any reason to believe your home is being targeted for a crime or harassment, that you reach out to your local authorities. While the below tips can help increase your safety, if you’re aware of a direct threat, you need to act, not only for your own family’s safety but for other people who might later become victims of the same crimes or harassment.
Lock Your Doors And Windows
First and foremost, locking your doors and windows can act as a deterrent against crime. If you have reason to suspect that your locks have been tampered with (like, you’ve had a previous break-in), or you don’t fully trust the previous owner/tenant or someone has moved out that might still have a key, you can look into getting your locks replaced. If the locks are new, there’s no way anyone else will have a key and be able to enter without force.
Get An Alarm System Installed
To take your security to the next level, you can have an alarm system installed. This is a system that rings an alarm (and contacts the authorities on your behalf) when someone enters or doesn’t enter the correct password within a set period of time. By using a Ness alarm system, or another similar system, you can always have peace of mind. They keep you, your family, and your belongings safe.
Trim Bushes And Shrubs
While bushes and shrubs are excellent for privacy, they also make your home more desirable to those who are looking to commit a crime. This is because there is less chance of someone on the street seeing what’s going on inside as the bushes and shrubs are big and make visibility difficult. To deter crime, keep hedges and other plants trimmed.
Be Careful What Signals You’re Sending
Did you know that some criminals look around on social media to see who’s away on vacation? Did you know some robbers look specifically for pro-gun stickers or signs, as these are often an indication that firearms are on the premises and guns are worth a ton of money? Likewise, some thieves look for posts that include expensive jewelry as these indicate that expensive items might be on your property. To mitigate these risks, don’t post on social media about your vacation until you’re home, and don’t advertise that you have expensive things scattered throughout your home.
Exterior Lights
Similar to keeping foliage trimmed, installing exterior lights that turn on when someone walks past can reduce the risk of a crime happening in your home. This is because there is a much higher chance that someone on the street or in your neighbor’s home will notice that something is awry—they’ll be able to see what’s going on even in the middle of the night.
Befriend Your Neighbours
This might seem like an odd point to make, but according to burglars, it isn’t. If you’re close enough with your neighbors that they might speak to someone wandering around your home, looking in the windows (hey, are you looking for Jim? I can take a message for you), crimes are less likely to happen in your home. Most thieves spend a little bit of time looking around the place before entering, and if neighbors are chatting and looking at them (and likely remembering their faces), they’re much more likely to skip your place.
Leave The Television Or The Radio On
When polled, burglars cited hearing the television or radio as one of the strongest indicators that someone was home. Other things that can indicate a person is at home include a car in the driveway. In contrast, if you’re going to be away, have a friend come and plow your driveway and collect your mail to give the impression of someone being home.
The above tips should help you increase your home security. Again, if you have any reason to believe that someone is planning on committing a crime on or near your home, if you have received threats, if you have noticed suspicious activity, report it to the authorities at once.
