To prevent crime, the first step is to reduce opportunity, even if you can’t remove it altogether. Burglaries do not just occur at night. Many occur in broad daylight when you are away from home running errands, at work or on vacation. Take precautions to secure your home before you leave the house. Here’s a guide to keep your family and belongings safe when you’re away.
Assess and Secure Entrances
An effective way to secure your home is to first scan it like a burglar would. What are the entries to your house apart from the main entrance? Can the window be pried open easily? Check for other vulnerable spots. Are your expensive electronics or antique furniture visible from outside? Can anyone see your valuables such as jewellery, handbags or expensive watches lying on your dresser? Fix the blinds if they are broken. Make sure your curtain can be pulled all the way across the doors. Keep expensive items out of sight. Keep the patio light on when you are away at night so your absence is not obvious to anyone peering in. If possible, plant thorny shrubs and plants by your window to make breaking in difficult.
Construct a Fence
A fence is a reliable way to keep off unwanted trespassers. Make sure it is high enough. Open chain link or a metal fencing is more secure than a solid wall that can be easily crossed over. If you so have a concrete or brick wall, secure them with sharply pointed tops or barbed wire fencing.
Keep Vehicles in the Garage
Stowaway expensive cars, bikes and grills in the garage. Lock your car and park it in a well-lit area if you keep it on the streets. Leaving your car out makes it vulnerable to thieves. Keep it in the garage whenever you can and make sure the alarm is in working condition. If your garage has windows, put up blinds or curtains to protect your privacy.
Motor Sensor Lighting
Secure your entrance with motor sensor lighting. It throws a bright spotlight on an intruder, catching him unawares even before he can enter your home. You can power the lighting with motion detectors. If you live in a condo or apartment, speak with the management about installing bright lights in the reception area, walkways and halls.
Know Your Neighbours
In close-knit communities, the rate of crime is reportedly lower because your neighbours keep an eye out for you when you’re away. If they are home when you are not in and vice versa, you can look out for each other, especially when one is away on vacation. Never announce your vacation plans on social media. Keep the yard well lit at night.
Keep Ladders Away
A ladder or toolbox left out even briefly is playing with danger. It can give ideas to any potential intruder to break in and find easy access. Keep keys away safely. If you lose one, change the lock instantly. Prune trees that are close to the windows on the upper floors. Use high-quality locks on fences, garage doors, entrance doors and gates.
Ajax Locksmiths at Pickering
Since 1983, Ajax Locksmiths have served residential, commercial and industrial customers in Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa and the surrounding areas. Our reliability and integrity over the years are unmatched. We have two fully equipped response vans that are ready to serve you in any emergency you may have. Whether you need your locks rekeyed, a complete high-security access system, we have the experience and skill to handle any job.
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