Taking time to improve home security can mean the difference between deterring a would be burglar and inviting one to enter. While advanced home alarm systems are particularly helpful in preventing home invasions, they should not be seen as the only step necessary to ensure the protection of your home. By employing a variety of common sense procedures you can ensure that your home and your family has the best defense possible against the criminal element.
While there are numerous ideas and techniques that can be applied to home security, here is a list of the most helpful and effective ways to ensure that your home alarm system need never be triggered:
1. Keep all doors and windows locked at all times. It is common to assume that when you're at home during the day, you're safe. Perhaps it's the knowledge that people are out and about in broad daylight that creates this false sense of security. Criminals rely upon these very assumptions when choosing homes to strike. Leaving nothing more than a flimsy screen door to protect an entry is as good as an invitation to a prospective invader. Therefore, when entering the home, always lock all doors behind you.
2. Don't make it obvious that you'll be away from home. When going on vacation or traveling for business, don't leave notes for people on your front door and restrict the number of people you inform of your travel plans to those who need to know. Be sure to stop all mail and newspaper delivery and enlist the help of a trusted neighbor to make sure any packages delivered are not left on the doorstep. An overstuffed mailbox or days' worth of newspapers piled up are sure signs that a house is empty.
3. Join a neighborhood watch program. When neighbors gather and discuss the vulnerability of the neighborhood, potential threats can be recognized and addressed. Any suspicious activity is much easier to identify with several pairs of eyes and the likelihood of mistaking someone who is rightfully in the neighborhood for a criminal is also reduced. If a neighborhood watch has not already been established where you live, there's no time like the present.
4. Don't leave keys hidden on the premises. While it may be convenient to have a spare key stashed under a rock or in a secret nook, it's far too likely that a criminal will be able to find it. If the home has been watched, you may have been spotted while hiding the key. If you must have a spare key available, leave it with a trusted neighbor or relative with whom you're very familiar.
5. Don't open the door to strangers. While this may seem obvious, it is a rule that can be broken almost instinctively. Criminals may pose as any number of tradesmen and use a variety of reasons to gain entry to your home. If you lower your guard and allow them inside, no home alarm system will help you. Therefore, never unlock the door for anyone you're not expecting, no matter how friendly they seem to be.
While there are numerous ideas and techniques that can be applied to home security, here is a list of the most helpful and effective ways to ensure that your home alarm system need never be triggered:
1. Keep all doors and windows locked at all times. It is common to assume that when you're at home during the day, you're safe. Perhaps it's the knowledge that people are out and about in broad daylight that creates this false sense of security. Criminals rely upon these very assumptions when choosing homes to strike. Leaving nothing more than a flimsy screen door to protect an entry is as good as an invitation to a prospective invader. Therefore, when entering the home, always lock all doors behind you.
2. Don't make it obvious that you'll be away from home. When going on vacation or traveling for business, don't leave notes for people on your front door and restrict the number of people you inform of your travel plans to those who need to know. Be sure to stop all mail and newspaper delivery and enlist the help of a trusted neighbor to make sure any packages delivered are not left on the doorstep. An overstuffed mailbox or days' worth of newspapers piled up are sure signs that a house is empty.
3. Join a neighborhood watch program. When neighbors gather and discuss the vulnerability of the neighborhood, potential threats can be recognized and addressed. Any suspicious activity is much easier to identify with several pairs of eyes and the likelihood of mistaking someone who is rightfully in the neighborhood for a criminal is also reduced. If a neighborhood watch has not already been established where you live, there's no time like the present.
4. Don't leave keys hidden on the premises. While it may be convenient to have a spare key stashed under a rock or in a secret nook, it's far too likely that a criminal will be able to find it. If the home has been watched, you may have been spotted while hiding the key. If you must have a spare key available, leave it with a trusted neighbor or relative with whom you're very familiar.
5. Don't open the door to strangers. While this may seem obvious, it is a rule that can be broken almost instinctively. Criminals may pose as any number of tradesmen and use a variety of reasons to gain entry to your home. If you lower your guard and allow them inside, no home alarm system will help you. Therefore, never unlock the door for anyone you're not expecting, no matter how friendly they seem to be.
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