Your home is your castle, right? But is your home really safe once you leave for work? According to statistics, a theft occurs every five seconds. The majority of home burglaries occur during the day when most people are away from home. During the summer months of July and August burglaries occur more often than any other time of the year.
Gone in six seconds:
The attached Youtube link demonstrates just how easy it is for an experienced burglar to break into your home through your garage in less than six seconds. Experienced burglars know that the garage door is usually the weakest point of entry, followed by the back door. To prevent this type of home burglary, simply remove the pull string and zip tie the release lever.
Harden the target:
The first step to home security is to harden the target or make your home more difficult to enter. Most times a burglar will simply bypass your home if it requires too much effort or tools and skills that they do not possess. Here are a few additional tips to keep your home safe:
- Use a solid core or metal door for all entrance points
- Use a quality, heavy-duty, deadbolt lock with a one-inch throw bolt
- Use a secondary blocking device on all sliding glass doors and accessible widows
- Use highly visible alarm decals, beware of dog decals or block watch decals
- Use interior light timers to establish a pattern of occupancy
- Exterior lighting should allow 100- feet of visibility
Be a good neighbor:
Good neighbors look out for each other. So, get to know your neighbors and invite them to your home, communicate often and establish trust. Good neighbors will watch out for your home while you are away. They can report suspicious activity to the policy. Allowing a neighbor to have a key solves the problem of hiding a key outside the door – experienced burglars know to look for hidden keys in planter boxes, under doormats and above the ledge.
With a few simple precautions, your home will again be your castle and a sanctuary where you feel the most safe and secure. To make sure that your valuable possessions are adequately insured, contact EPB&B. For more tips on keeping your home safe visit www.crimedoctor.com.