10 recommended Security tips to safeguard against break-ins.
1. Close and lock all doors when leaving, even for short periods of time. We'd all like to believe our neighborhoods are safe -- and most of the time they are. However, why give burglars easy access? Lock the garage and any connecting doors as well. Burglars want easy jobs. That's why they scan homes for the weakest points of entry.
2. Use automatic timers. Timers can be set to turn on and off lights, radios and televisions at varying times of the day. Also use them when on vacation or away for an extended period of time to give burglars the impression that someone is home.
3. Illuminate the front and backyard areas. Darkness is one of a burglar's best friends. Doorways and the rear of the house should be lit with cost-effective, low-voltage lighting to minimize dark spaces.
4. Store ladders, tools or lawn furniture under lock and key. Many times burglars use items left outside as ways to gain entry into a home.
5. Trim trees and shrubs. If overgrown, these areas serve as the perfect hiding places for burglars and allow them to work undetected.
6. Enlist neighbors in a neighborhood watch program. Local police departments can provide materials and assist in getting a program started. In the meantime, it helps to build a good relationship with your close neighbors, so that each one can watch the other neighbor's home while away.
7. Keep an inventory of your valuables and belongings and place jewelry and documents in a safe-deposit box. Take photographs of all valuable possessions. These can also be marked with an engraving pen to help police trace and recover items if stolen.
8. Use window and door alarms. Alarms vary in their degree of sophistication, ranging from a door alarm to silent alarms patched into the local police station. Burglars typically will leave when any alarm is sounded. In addition, alarm systems can offer homeowners peace of mind.
9. Don't allow strangers into the home. Ask to see identification from service personnel, and don't allow people indoors to make phone calls. These individuals might be casing homes in the neighborhood.
10. Don't leave spare keys outdoors. Experience has taught burglars to check under doormats and in flower pots for spare keys.
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