Home Security 101

It is estimated that a home invasion occurs every 15 seconds. If you don’t want to become another statistic, there are several security measures you can take to keep your home and belongings safe.

1.  Lock and secure your doors and windows
Part of your daily home security routine should be to always make sure that all doors and windows are locked and that there are no entrances that could offer an intruder the opportunity to get into your home. Verify that each door has a deadbolt lock with long screws and a reinforced strike plate. Windows should be constructed of laminated glass, and ground level windows need strong locks. 

2.  Secure sliding glass doors
Each sliding glass door in your house should have a metal rod or dowel in the door’s track to prevent an unauthorized entry.  Installing vertical bolts will also prevent a burglar from forcing the door open.

3.  Secure your garage
Your garage is just like an external door.  Install a dead bolt on your door and keep your car locked. If you have a newly constructed home, consider changing your factory-set door opener code.  Burglars have access to these codes and will use common brands of remote openers, looking for a garage door that will open.  

4.  Use outdoor and indoor lighting to your advantage
Timed lighting inside and outside the home is a necessary security measure.  To create an appearance of constant activity, use light-timers inside the home. Motion sensor lighting installed near pathways, doorways and the driveway is also an effective way to scare off an intruder. Always keep the outside of your home well lit with security lights that provide at least 100 feet of visibility.

5.  Avoid telltale pileups
If you are going to be away for an extended period of time, arrange to have your newspapers and mail put on hold.  If you are expecting one or more packages, have a neighbor hold those packages for you until you return. Nothing shouts “This house is empty” more than having a pile of newspapers and mail stacked in front of your door. 

6.  Keep house keys in a safe place
Never hide your house key under the doormat or on the ledge of a door. These are one of the first places a burglar will look. Instead, entrust your house key to a neighbor in case of an emergency.

7.  Keep shades and blinds in their normal position
Close enough shades so a burglar can’t see if there is anything worth stealing while keeping a few shades open to make it look as if someone is home.  If all the shades are closed, this is a sure indication of an empty house. 

8.  Don’t announce you are going to be gone
Social networking sites give a false sense of security, in which people feel free to let the world know their travel plans.  This is just an open invitation for a burglar to rob your home.  To keep your home safe, don’t let people know on popular websites or on voice mail when you will be gone.

9.  Evaluate your landscaping
Prune back shrubbery and keep it away from entrances and walkways so that a burglar does not have a place to hide. Place a thorny plant, such as a rose bush or cacti under a window to slow down a thief. Also, examine tall trees near second-floor windows and make sure burglars can’t use them as ladders.

10.  Have a home alarm system installed and monitored
One of the biggest deterrents to a home invasion is having a home alarm system.  Whether it’s wired or wireless, a monitored home security system reduces home burglaries by up to 66 percent.

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