By By Lorene Bartos
Almost daily, there is a break-in of a home or business, so it is important to make sure your house is not a target for home burglary. By taking some simple precautions, families can protect their homes and property. It is important to really know what you have in your home, storage shed or outside building and what the dollar cost would be to replace these items. Break-ins happen both in town or rural areas. Thieves usually will spend only four to five minutes trying to enter someone’s property. Everyone must take steps to reduce the accessibility to your home or business.
Review these simple steps with your family:
* Close garage doors even if you are home or in the yard. Open doors are an invitation for theft and advertise your belongings.
* Always keep entry doors locked. Use quality locks and install easy-to-use deadbolt locks.
* If you use a keypad opener for your garage door, limit those who know the code. Remind children of the importance of keeping the code a secret.
* It is a good policy to lock the door between the house and garage.
* Lock windows, especially those in easy to access areas such as ground level or deck.
* Use a peep hole to identify visitors before opening the door.
* Outside motion detector lights are excellent deterrents.
* Avoid leaving keys in hidden spots outside your house (thieves know the common places), and resist leaving notes on your door (they inform potential thieves you are gone).
* Always remove keys from vehicles and lock them. Remote garage door openers left in vehicles are like keys to your house.
* Never leave purses or valuable belongings in a vehicle, even in the garage.
* Open drapes/blinds can expose valuables to criminals. Go outside and look in your windows and see what is there to draw thieves. Simply close blinds and drapes, especially when leaving.
* When leaving for an extended period, have someone pick up newspapers and deliveries, mow the lawn or remove the snow.
* Conduct a household inventory. Document your belongings by taking pictures of each room and garage. Keep a log of where items are and their value. It is good to file receipts for easy reference, if needed.
* Identify your property, such as electronics, tools, outdoor equipment and other household items, with an identification number. It is recommended to mark items in at least two places. With identity fraud a major concern, do not use your social security number. Keep a list of serial numbers.
* Check your insurance policy to determine your coverage and see if everything is covered for its current value. This especially is important when major items are replaced.
* Put a couple lights on timers to turn lights on and off when you are gone for short or long time period.
Always be aware of what is going on in your neighborhood. If you see suspicious activity, people or vehicles in the neighborhood — report them. It is better to be safe than sorry. Take precautions now to make your home less inviting and accessible to burglars and avoid a home burglary.
Contact the licensed experts at Godby Safe & Lock for all of your Locksmith needs.