As you may or may not know I am a police officer. I see safety issue’s around the house all the time, or things people have done, not knowing a prowler or burglar could use it against them. I am here to tell you what some of those things are so the worst doesn’t happen to you.
Do you have a ladder lying around the exterior of your property?
Remove ladders from the exterior of your property. A prowler may use your ladder against you, my friend. They can use it to get into the second story of your house or to get into your backyard. Often people leave the windows on the second floor of their house open or unlocked and this is an easy opportunity for a prowler. The Burglar takes advantage of what is already available to them (your ladder) to get into your house. Don’t make it easy for them.
Do you have garbage cans and recycling bins located at the front or on the side of your house?
Try to place garbage cans and recycling bins in your garage. If there isn’t room in the garage, consider placing them in the back yard. Yes, a Burglar can use a garbage can or recycling bin to get over the fence or through your window. I have a funny story about this. I watch my nephew 1 day a week. I overslept and my phone was dead, which caused my morning alarm to not go off. My sister moved my recycling bin, stood on it and hopped on over my fence and into my backyard. My sister was just trying to check on me. The thing is, she doesn’t have a criminal mind, but if she figured it out, you can bet a criminal would!
Just take a second and look around the exterior of your property and remove anything that a burglar or prowler could use to their advantage, to get into your house. They will even use your tools to break in if you leave them out in the open!
Check your garage door at night before going to bed.
Before you go to bed at night make sure to check that your garage door is closed. People have had their houses burglarized because they left their garage door open. Sometimes the thief will only take stuff from the garage, fearing people are inside. Other times the thief will go inside while people are sleeping. Regardless if they make it into your garage, or into your house, chances are, you will still feel violated!
Do you have an air conditioner in the window?
During the summertime people often leave air conditioners in their windows. This is an easy target for burglars. There are an open window and easy access to your house. It’s easy to climb through a window, take your stuff, and leave out the front door.
Sadly, this is also a safety hazard for kids. Kids can push the air conditioner out of the window, and they may fall through the window. You always think this stuff won’t happen to you, but the truth it is can and it does happen to people like you!
Do you have a gun (fake or real) within view of a window or door?
Do you have a fake gun in the window? Move it out of view, or into a safe. People often think that will intimidate a potential intruder and will make them think twice before breaking in. Wrong. The truth is, someone has to be there to pull the trigger on that gun in the window. An intruder could easily break the window and get to the gun before you could. Bad guys like guns and a window or door lock aren’t going to stop them from getting it! The gun may give them more incentive to break into the house.
Do you have a sign announcing that you are the proud owner of a Corgi?
Do you have signage outside saying what type of dog you have? This seems sweet and innocent (actually it is) however, you are also announcing to possible Burglars that you have a Corgi dog (or whatever small pup you may have), and they might as well enter your residence because the dog isn’t going to harm them. Some dogs have a large bark. Let the bad guy think you have a huge dog, but don’t announce that your dog is harmless. Consider keeping the signage inside or if you must, put it in your backyard.
Here are a few things you can do if you want extra security.
Consider having motion lights in the front and back of your house.
Whenever someone is on your property at night the lights will turn on. You would be surprised at how easily that scares people away. Bad guys like to operate under the cover of darkness. The least you can do is make their job hard for them!
Consider having locks or alarms on your windows.
Consider placing locks on your windows or wooden dowels in the window seal, so the window can only open so far. Do the same thing for a sliding glass door. There are also cheap (unmonitored) alarms you can buy to put on your windows, that will sound if the window is opened. You can turn it off from the inside if you want to get some air. The bad guy doesn’t know the alarm they heard isn’t monitored.
Have motion sensors in the front and back yard.
There are motion sensors called, “Driveway patrol.” You set up two sensors at any point in your yard, or on a fence, or even put them between two trees; anything that goes between those two sensors will trigger an alarm in your home. The caveat is, you have to be home to hear the alarm. When you are putting the sensors in place, make sure you are setting them up off the ground, so that your dog or cat isn’t constantly tripping the alarm. These sensors can be set differently for different locations. For example, you can set it to 1 beep inside of the house and two beeps for the outside of the house. This is especially useful for people who have been broken into before, or who have had prowlers around their cars or property. It also helps if you are often alone, and you want a heads up if someone is on your property. The sensors give you peace of mind!
Okay, friends, I hope these safety tips give you something to think about. Secure your house like a badass. I’m not suggesting it needs to be Fort Knox, I’m just mentioning a few things that people often down realize or think about!
Marie
PS today: do 1 thing to secure your house!
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