Statistics Canada reports that of 230,000 break-ins across the
country in 2007, about 60% (almost 140,000) were residential. While
the installation of alarm systems and motion detectors have
contributed to a steady reduction in home break-ins in recent
years, alone they may not deter a determined thief. They should be
combined with other measures that help keep burglars from finding
your home an attractive target. Make your home less vulnerable by following these tips.
Outside the homeYou want your home to appear impenetrable.
If it looks difficult to break into, chances are a burglar will
move on to another target. - Keep shrubs and bushes well trimmed and
away from your doorways. This helps eliminate possible hiding
places for intruders.
- Make sure that yard work tools are not
left out. They can be used by an intruder to break into your
home.
- Consider installing lights or motion
detectors around the exterior of your house.
- Never hide extra keys outdoors, especially
in obvious places such as door ledges, mailboxes or under the
mat.
- Home alarm systems or dogs that bark at
strangers are great deterrents for burglars, as are signs like
“beware of the dog” and home alarm stickers
placed on your doors and windows.
- Do not put a sign with your family name on
the outside of your house. A thief could look up your number in the
phone book and call to see if anybody’s home.
- If you go out, never leave a note on your
door indicating when you will be back.
Doors and windowsThese are the main entry points of your
home. Make sure they are secure and difficult to get through. - Always lock your doors and windows. A
surprising number of robberies occur through unlocked doors or
windows. An open window seen from the street can seem like an
invitation to enter your home. And don’t forget to lock
your garage door.
- Exterior doors should be of a strong,
solid material and equipped with high-quality locks.
- Secondary locks on doors and windows act
as an added deterrent.
- Always change the locks when you move to a
new home or if you lose your keys.
- Install security bars on your basement
windows.
- Sliding doors should be secured with a
stick or metal bar. The stationary door pane should also be
secured; otherwise it can be easily lifted off the track. Use an
auxiliary lock or door pins hooked into the frame.
Protecting valuable itemsIf a burglar can spot valuable items from
the street, it’s like an invitation to come in. - Never leave valuables in places where they
can be seen through a door or window. Consider placing items like
expensive jewellery or stock certificates in a safety deposit box.
Or invest in a fireproof safe for your home.
- Engrave your drivers’ license
number on your valuables. And keep an inventory stored in a safe
place.
When you’re away from homeYour goal when you are away on vacation
should be to make it look like someone is still living in your
home. - Use timers on your lights, stereos and
televisions. The lights and noise will give the impression that
someone is home. Setting lights to go on and off at irregular
intervals makes it look like someone is moving through the rooms of
the house, as they would be if you were home.
- Cancel your newspaper and ask a neighbour
or friend to pick up your mail.
- Hire someone to cut your grass or shovel
the snow. Ask a neighbour to leave a bag of their garbage out at
your house on pick-up day.
- Leave a car in the driveway. If you take
your car on vacation, ask a neighbour to park in your
driveway.
- Turn down the ringer on your telephone. Do
not change your phone message to say you are away.
- Turn off your computer and disconnect it
from the Internet. Make it difficult to access any personal
information you may have on your hard drive.
- Make sure you let your neighbours know if
you’re planning to be away, even if it’s just
for the weekend. That way, they can keep an eye out for any unusual
activity around your home.
- Before leaving, do a complete check of
your home to verify that everything is secure.
Always be aware and preparedKnow what to watch and listen for, and be
smart when talking to strangers. - Make sure trusted neighbours and friends
have a way to reach you, in case they notice something strange
happening around your home.
- Report suspicious activities in your
neighbourhood such as unknown persons hanging around, slow moving
vehicles circling the block, unusual noises or unfamiliar parked
cars.
- Do not allow strangers into your home. If
someone knocks on your door and says they are hurt or need help,
keep your door locked and call the police for them.
- When replying to calls from strangers,
such as people who say they are telemarketers or conducting a
survey, never mention when you are planning to be away. Likewise,
do not discuss travel plans in public places where you
don’t know who may be listening.
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