The following tips suggest how access to your home, apartment, or condo can be controlled by physical protection, deterrent measures, burglar alarms, and various security procedures.
Physical protection measures include the following:
•Install single cylinder dead-bolt locks on all doors. Bolts should have a minimum throw of 1 inch. Strike plates should have screws that are at least 3 inches long. Doors should be solid hardwood or metal clad. Hinges should be located on the inside or have non-removable pins. Special locks are need on double and Dutch doors.
•Install locking devices on all sliding glass doors and windows.
•Install good locks all doors that lead outside through garages or storage areas.
•Don’t rely on chain locks for security. They’re only good for privacy.
•Re-key or change all locks when moving into a new home.
•Install locks on gates, garages, sheds, etc.
•Go to a locksmith or hardware store for advice on locks.
•Reinforce the glass in windows on the lock sides of doors so a burglar cannot break them and reach in to open the door.
•Consider installing security bars on side, rear, or other windows that a burglar might break to enter your home. Bars must comply with Fire Code requirements for inside release to permit an occupant to escape in the event of a fire.
•Fence in the yard.
•Install a good side-yard gate and keep it locked at all times. Side and back entries are the most common access points for burglars.
•Plant bushes with thorns or prickly leaves near windows and along fences.
•Trim trees so that limbs don’t provide access to roofs, second stories, etc.
Deterrent measures include the following:
•Put Neighborhood Watch, alarm company, and Operation ID stickers on entry doors and windows.
•Consider having a dog that can scare a stranger away by either barking or looking fierce. Keep an outside dog in a fenced area and have a good lock on the gate.
•Use fencing, gates, landscaping, pavement treatment, signs, etc. to define clear boundaries between your property and adjoining properties.
Consider installing a home alarm system that provides monitoring for burglary.
•Alarm systems usually include one or more of the following components: photocell or magnetic contacts on doors and windows, heat or motion detectors in interior spaces, glass break detectors, keypads with a means of checking the status of the system, and audible alarms. All equipment should be Underwriters Laboratory (UL) certified.
•Multiple sensors are preferred because they reduce false alarms, which are wasteful of police resources and lead to fines and permit revocation.
•If your system is monitored, make sure the monitoring station is open 24/7 and has backup power. The company’s customer service department should also be open 24/7.
•Make sure you understand your service contract, all the points of protection and the equipment to be installed, the initial and monthly payments, and the warranty period.
•Inform your insurance company. You may qualify for a discount.
•The system should also have a fail-safe battery backup. Check the batteries periodically and replace them if necessary.
Security procedures include the following:
•Keep all doors and windows locked, even if you are just going out “for a minute.” If a window is left open a few inches for ventilation, pins or dowels should be inserted in the tracks to prevent someone from opening it more.
•Lock gates, garages, and sheds after each use.
•Store bicycles, mowers, ladders, etc. in a locked garage or shed, or secure them to some stationary point.
•Don’t leave notes on your door when you are away from home.
•Don’t leave keys in mailboxes or planters, under doormats, or in other obvious hiding spots. Leave an extra key with a neighbor.
•Learn to recognize who belongs in your neighborhood, development, or apartment, i.e., residents, workers, guests, etc.
•Be suspicious of persons making unsolicited offers of services.
•Post a NO SOLICITING sign if you don’t want any solicitor to ring your door bell, knock on your door, or make any other sound to attract your attention.
•Ask for photo identification before letting in anyone you don’t know. Check out the identification with the company or agency if you are suspicious.
•Never let a stranger enter your home to use the telephone. Offer to make the call yourself in an emergency.
•Don’t give your name, phone number, or whereabouts on your answering machine message. Never say you aren’t home. Just ask the caller to leave a message.
•Don’t leave your home keys on a chain with your vehicle keys when you use valet parking. Also, don’t leave your garage door opener where it is easily accessible. Keep your vehicle registration, proof of insurance, and any other papers with your home address on them where a criminal is not likely to find them.
•Don’t give maids, babysitters, or others working in your home access to your home keys or alarm codes.
•Call the police on 911 if you are at home and hear or see something suspicious.
•Don’t go in or call out if you return home and suspect someone has broken into your home, e.g., if a window or screen is broken, a door is ajar, or a strange vehicle is parked in the driveway. Go to a neighbor’s home and call the police.•Don’t discuss your assets or finances with strangers.
•Don’t keep large sums of money at home.
•Keep valuable papers, stocks, bonds, expensive jewelry, coin collections, etc. in a bank safe deposit box. Don’t store them at home unless you have a security closet or a safe that is well hidden and cannot be removed.
Good advice for home owners in your post. I have supplied decals and sign to the security industry since 1983. The security signs and decals also help to deter would-be burglars. If a criminal knows that a security system is in place he will go else where to apply his craft.
ReplyDeleteThis maybe of interest to you the follow is a blog from Mr. Decal’s blog;
The security sign is the best advertisement for the home owner and the sign communicates to a potential burglar that this house is protected. Since most criminals are opportunistic and will gravitate to the path of lest resistance. These home thieves’ will not attempt a B&E because of the security devices in situ in a home. Because most burglars’ do not want to be caught they will move on to a home that does not have a security system. This basically a thumb nail sketch of your article.
I would like to add another level to this security sign informational blog. The security sign is not only a good thing for the home owner, but is also a great advertising tool for the security installer or dealer.
The question should be asked; what makes it beneficial to the security dealer?
The answer is the cost of the advertising instrument of the security lawn sign. Most security lawn signs purchased in bulk may cost on average for 1 or 2 colors from $1.95 each on the high end to a middle price of .99each. (Note quantity and number of colors makes the price higher or lower) Lest say a security sign place in a homes front yard visible from the street is in place for 3 years. If we include the stake and attachments to affix the sign to the aluminum stake the sign would cost using the highest price point 2 colors purchasing 125 signs approximately $2.95each not including the labor attach to sign to the pole or to place the sign in the ground.
For each sign placed in front of a client’s home for a period of 3 years the advertising cost per day based on the above cost for each sign is $.0027cents per day. The yearly cost of this advertising piece is $.99cent per year and the total 3 year cost would be $2.95 for the entire 3 years of advertising exposure. Of course if more signs are purchased and the unit price of each sign was lower then the advertising cost would be much lower.
The cost of advertising even in the yellow page the cost is significantly higher and paid monthly. This is why the lowly security sign is used by most every security deal and installer in the home security industry. There are no other advertising mediums that are more cost effective that the security signs.
Doug Bryant
The Decal Factory - The best decals, signs, labels, posters, stickers and banners in the industry for business and hobby.
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