Every year, around the holidays, I post on my social media accounts a few tips on preventing thefts and improving your home's security. I wanted to help my friends and family members avoid the horrible experience of having their property stolen. This year I wanted to expand my audience, so here's a full post on things that you can do to keep your home and family safer from criminals.
Security systems are certainly an option. They come in a variety of prices and many different styles and options. If you're handy and good with technology, you can purchase items like cameras and set them up yourself, but there are also many companies who specialize in home security who can help you find exactly what you need. Make sure you "shop around" and find a company with a price and options that you're comfortable with.
Some security companies also offer other options that you might find useful, such as home security assessments and vacation monitoring. An assessment would involve an individual visiting your property to make suggestions and recommendations of things you can do to reduce the chances of criminal activity. Vacation monitoring (there are different terms for it but the basic principle is the same) is when you're going to be away from home for a period of time and hire the security company to make regular visits to your property to check on things and ensure that your home doesn't look empty (turning on lights, collecting mail, mowing the grass, moving the curtains, shoveling snow, etc.).
Here are the things that I recommend, most of which are things you can do yourself or hire someone to do for a reasonable price. This isn't an extensive list, but hopefully you find it helpful.
1. Lock everything
- lock your deadbolt on all your house doors when you're away from home, outside but can't see your doors directly, and at night or when you're home alone; thieves have been known to strike while people are away from home briefly, are in the shower, are asleep, or even while they're mowing their lawn or working in their garage
- lock your garage and any sheds
- lock all vehicles and never leave valuables in your vehicles (wallets, purses, ID, cash, etc.)
- lock up larger items such as bicycles, lawn mowers, snow blowers, etc. either inside a garage or shed or with a chain
- install longer screws in your deadbolt and door hinges so that the screws go deeper into the door and door frame, making it harder for criminals to pry or kick open the door
- lock gates, especially back gates, to keep intruders out or slow them down; there are even locks available which allow easy access from the inside but require a combination to be entered in order to unlock from the outside
2. Reduce darkness, shadows, and other hiding places
- install outdoor lights that come on at night and/or are triggered by motion
- cut trees and shrubs back from doors and windows
3. Keep your keys secure
- don't leave spare keys in obvious places outside, such as under the mat or in a plant pot beside the door; invest in a secure key box that mounts to your fence and only opens with a combination or use a keypad lock on one of your doors
- don't hang your car keys or other keys just inside your house door or anywhere else that is obvious; if a criminal breaks into your house, they'll have easy access to your vehicle
- when you're in public or even at work, keep your keys out of sight rather than on a desktop or tabletop where they are easy for a criminal to pick up
4. Your garbage doesn't lie
- if you're going to be away from home and have curbside garbage pick-up, have a neighbor or friend move your garbage can to/from the curb so that it's not obviously left in the same place for days
- after purchasing or receiving an expensive item, such as a TV, DON'T leave the box out with your regular garbage; this is just an advertisement to criminals that you have something new worth stealing, take it to the landfill or recycling facility yourself
5. Don't post it on social media
- avoid posting about a vacation until you're home; don't advertise to criminals that there is or will be a window of time when you're not around to catch them stealing your stuff
- don't post photos of your expensive or valuable items, stacks of Christmas or birthday presents, or other temptations for criminals on social media, even in the background of your photos
- even posts about shopping at electronics stores or finding great sales/deals can alert potential thieves about items you may have that they want
- check your settings on your social media pages and set them to share your posts with only your "Friends"
- don't add "Friends" who you don't actually know, even if they're "Friends of Friends"
- avoid tagging "Friends" in posts, as this allows their "Friends" to see your post
- ask your "Friends" to remove the tag if they tag you in a post
- if you own a home business, make sure your social media posts don't let potential thieves know you'll be "on holidays" and thus away from home
6. Make it your own
- engrave or write your name, phone number or initials on your possessions; this makes it easier to identify items if they are stolen and recovered by the police
- take photographs of your vehicles and other possessions, especially distinct marks, decals, etc.; this both helps you identify items and helps the police to press charges against thieves (keep the photographs digitally online or printed in a safety deposit box or other secure location)
- keep your receipts or credit card/bank statements that show a record of your purchased items for large, expensive or valuable purchases; these are proof of ownership
7. Know your neighbors
- try to meet all your neighbors and familiarize yourself with them and their vehicles; this will help you spot any potential criminals who are walking or driving around your area looking for targets
- if something or someone looks suspicious, write down everything you can about them (description, clothing, tattoos, vehicles, license plate, activity, date, time, etc.) and even take a photo of them or their vehicle; these details can help the police if you or your neighbors do experience a break-in or theft
- if your neighbors experience a theft or other crime, be extra vigilant
- start or join a neighborhood watch group or COP (Citizens on Patrol) group
8. Keep your property well kept
- caring for your property (mowing the grass regularly, keeping shrubs and trees trimmed, picking up garbage, maintaining windows and fences, etc.) shows criminals that you care about your possessions and will discourage vandalism and theft
- if you are a victim of vandalism or a break-in, clean up the mess and repair the damage as quickly as possible (once the police and insurance company allow it) in order to discourage future incidents
- report vandalism in your neighborhood to the police and encourage the property owner or town/city officials to get the vandalism cleaned up and/or repaired
9. Own a dog
- I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT ever encourage ANYONE to own an aggressive dog or to own a dog they are not able to handle or care for properly, but, dogs are another set of eyes/ears in the house or on the property and can alert you of troublemakers nearby
- a dog that will bark when someone is near your home or yard is a good deterrent against criminals, no matter what size or breed the dog is
10. Secure your windows
- windows that are low enough for someone to get in from the outside should have extra locks or even bars to discourage break-ins
- keep shrubs, etc. away from windows so that criminals don't have a place to hide while planning to enter your window
- close your blinds/curtains when it's dark outside so that passersby can't easily see inside and scope out your possessions (not just your TV, etc., but also the gifts under your Christmas tree, etc.)
- lock your windows when you're away from home and ensure all low windows are locked at night
- add a block of wood in the track of sliding windows and doors to prevent them from opening
I genuinely hope that you never experience a theft or break-in. It's unfortunate that good, honest people have to guard their hard-earned property from criminals, but I hope that these tips help you to avoid and discourage crime.
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