Safety tips by ADT to prevent break-ins and theft
Never let your children answer the door.
With the festive season fast approaching and crime increasing, don’t let your home be an easy target for criminals.
Below are some safety tips to help you keep you and your family safe.
• Install motion sensor lights in dark corners outside your house, particularly ones near entrances. Turning on whenever there is movement, these bulbs help ensure intruders have no place to hide.
• Always look who’s at the door. Most people assume if the doorbell rings it’s someone they know. Never let your children answer the door, and install a peephole to help ensure you’re getting a good look before you open it.
• Trim your shrubs. Untrimmed bushes around houses provide burglars with an easy hideout as they attempt to gain access to your home.
• Use timers on your indoor lights. When you’re out of town, one of the easiest and smartest things you can do is install a timer to turn interior lights on and off at reasonable hours. Some people leave radios on as well. This gives the impression that you are home.
• Don’t forget about the garage. You may not think about it, but your garage can be a favourite scooping spot for an intruder. If you keep a lot of possessions in the garage, don’t leave the door open if it doesn’t have to be. Burglars love to make judgements on some houses based on what it’s in the garage.
• Consider getting a dog. All the clichés are true – having a dog on patrol at your house, especially one prone to barking at strangers, typically makes yours a less than appealing target for burglars.
• Don’t leave notes on your doors for friends, neighbours, or family members that suggest the home is empty. While you’re away, you have no clue who might appear on your front door to find it.
• Make sure you pick up your mail and bring in your newspaper at a regular time each day. If you’re heading out of town, put a hold on both or ask a neighbour to pick them up for you. You’d be surprised how much a stuffed mailbox, or a stack of old newspapers, says about you and your whereabouts.
• Join or start a neighbourhood watch. Is there a neighbourhood watch group in your neighbourhood? If so, join. If not, create one. Being a good neighbour means watching out for those living around you. If you see something that appears suspicious, contact your local authorities. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
• Install a home security system: A home security system is the best way to help protect you, your family, and your possessions, and nowadays – with affordable wireless and hard-wired systems available – there’s no reason not to have one.
Source: https://www.homesecurity.io
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