Home Security Measures
The popular portrayal of burglars as skilled, sneaky, and stubborn individuals is largely a media myth; in reality, most potential burglars will simply avoid a property which appears challenging to violate. Criminals are, in general, looking for easy-to-access targets and a very low risk of being caught in the act of burglary. In fact, it is estimated that fully 30 per cent of illegal entries are completely unforced, meaning that the thief has simply entered through an unlocked door or window.
There is therefore a lot homeowners can do to mitigate the risk of criminal activity on their properties, such as:
Practise common sense anti-theft Home Security measures. Before you leave your home, make sure to lock all of its doors and windows. Likewise, you should never leave a set of house-keys anywhere a thief might be able to find them, such as under your doormat or in your mailbox. If for some reason you must leave a set of keys on your property, conceal them very carefully in an unlikely place.
You should also make sure that your door and window locks are sturdy and secure (and you should always block access to any sliding doors by placing a rod in the frame so that the door can’t slide open). Finally, once every month, do a “perimeter check” to make sure that security features like locks, driveway gates and fences, and burglar alarms have not been compromised in any way.
Install security features and make potential criminals aware of them. The most powerful anti-theft measure is deterrence; if you have a large property, you should have professionals install secure driveway gates and fences which are difficult to breach, and all homes should be outfitted with alarm systems (complete with motion detectors) and video surveillance systems. You should also be sure to post warning signs on your doors, windows, and driveway gates and fences to notify criminals that your home is protected by video surveillance and an alarm system. The vast majority of criminals will not risk entering a property that is protected in this way as the risk of being apprehended is simply too great.
(Note that if you live in a rural area, installing secure driveway gates and fences is absolutely essential; the vast majority of burglars who are caught in the act are apprehended as a result of watchful neighbours alerting the police. As such, if your home is in a remote location and not visible to neighbours, you will need to take additional measures to ensure that your property is difficult to trespass upon.)
Conceal valuables within the home. Most criminals are looking for valuable items that they can easily carry away with them, such as jewelry and electronics. If you take the time to cleverly conceal such items, thieves will often give up and leave your home before finding them (as the longer they stay in the home, the greater the risk of being caught becomes). Think creatively when hiding valuables; for example, you may choose to store heirloom jewelry you rarely wear in a biscuit tin at the back of the cupboard rather than placing it in an obvious jewelry box or hiding it under your mattress.
If you are concerned about securing your property, don’t hesitate to discuss your options with professional gate and fence installers; with a bit of research and planning, it’s fully possible to keep your home, family, and possessions safe.
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