At Unlimited Security, we work hard to ensure our customers feel safe and secure at all times. We also strive to protect the homes, businesses, and other properties of our clients when they are away. The FBI recently reported that every 15.4 seconds, a burglary happens somewhere in the United States. A burglary is a non-confrontational property crime that occurs when the owners of the property are not present. Keeping your home safe from a possible burglary can be done, especially when you follow certain tips and suggestions. We’re sharing some advice from the Crime Doctor on burglary prevention.
Doors and Locks
Did you know that a burglar will bypass a home if it requires too much effort or more tools and skills than he has? This is why it is so important to harden the target and make your home more difficult to enter. Having a solid core or metal door for all entrance points with both a heavy-duty deadbolt lock with a one-inch throw bolt and a quality knob-in-lock set with a dead-latch mechanism is crucial in keeping burglars out of your home. To keep a burglar from kicking open a door with a wooden jamb, you should install a heavy-duty four-screw strike plate with three-inch screws to penetrate into the wooden door frame. Don’t forget to secure any sliding glass doors you may have by using a secondary blocking device like a wooden dowel or stick, by keeping the latch mechanism in good working condition, and by using anti-lift devices such as upper track screws or through-the-door pins.
Lighting
An extremely important way to prevent burglaries, lighting should be thought of in three areas:
- Interior: By using light timers, you can set up a routine to make your house look occupied, even when you are away from home. Inexpensive and easy to find, light timers should be used near the front and back windows with the curtains closed. Remember to have a pattern of lights turning on and off to make it even more realistic. You can also use light timers to turn on a radio or television set to further enhance the illusion of occupancy.
- Exterior: Critical if you have to walk from a parking lot or garage to your home, good exterior lighting allows you to see if a suspicious person or other threat is lurking around your home. Your exterior lighting should be bright enough for you to see a radius of 100 feet around you. Another important thing about exterior lighting is that it discourages burglars as they do not wish to be seen or identified.
- Perimeter: To establish a routine and appearance of occupancy at all times, exterior lighting on the front of your home should be on a timer to turn on at dusk and turn off at dawn. You want to ensure every entryway of your home is equipped with lighting. For the rear and sides of your home, you may want to install security lights with infra-red motion sensors, especially near bedrooms. Many of these types of lights can be adjusted to detect body heat and can also be programmed to reset after one minute.
Need more burglary prevention advice? Click here to contact us at Unlimited Security for more ways to keep your home and property safe from criminals.