The kids are out of school, the weather is nice, and you’re planning a nice long summer vacation with the family or a road trip with friends. While you may think your neighborhood crime watch will have everything under control while you’re gone, summer sees a higher rate of home burglaries and thefts than any other time. Help ensure your home and its treasures stay secure this summer.
• Secure the home’s points of entry. Someone who is trying to burgle a house might try to gain access through either the front or back door. Outfit doors with deadbolt locks and tampering sensors linked to security sensors. Burglars also try the windows, dog doors, and garages. When you are away from home, it’s a good idea to lock these doors and windows as well as any gates on the property.
• Talk to your kids. Once a kid hears a doorbell, it’s hard to stop the run to the door to greet whoever is there. Make sure your kids know when it is appropriate for them to answer and when it’s best for an adult to take the lead. If they are alone during the workday, make a list of people who they are allowed to unlock the door for.
• Take away the key. Chances are, your hidden spare key isn’t all that hidden. Instead of sliding it under the rug or a flowerpot on your front step, find a crack in the handrail to hide it in or a loose brick to put over it. You could buy a key safe disguised as a garden gnome. Never leave the car or home key in a vehicle parked outside the house, and never leave an exposed vehicle unlocked.
• Lights, camera, action! Above all else, criminals want to stay hidden. Placing energy-saving dusk-to-dawn automatic lights at or near possible points of entry will deter many potential burglars. Some security systems can program interior lights to make it look like someone is home. Install security cameras around the home. Motion-activated cameras linked to a security system or a network of cameras streaming live footage allows you to monitor your home while you’re away.
• Wait to post. Posting to social media sites is the daily norm for almost everyone, but it is important to remember that criminals watch those sites, too. Thieves are often people we know in some way, who are monitoring Facebook pages for seemingly harmless posts (“Going on vacation in three days!”) that indicate when you will be away from home. It is crucial that you wait until you get home to post your vacation thoughts and photos, so the wrong people don’t get the wrong idea.
According to the Department of Justice, burglary rates are 10.5 percent higher in the summer than in the winter, with lower activity when it is over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. You might want to beef up your home’s internal and external security systems before planning any overnight travel this summer.
Keep your family and your home safe by being proactive. If your house is the one that’s hard to get into, that’s the one a burglar will skip. Discuss ways of protecting your most valuable investment with a qualified security company such as All Secured.