| How can you steal the initiative from
thieves? Think like they do, says .
YOUR home is your castle - but is it under siege by
thieves? Every year, hundreds of South Australian homes are invaded by criminals, at an
immense cost to the community in goods lost and in higher insurance premiums.
No "castle" can ever be totally burglar-proof -
unless there's a wide moat full of crocodiles.
But there are plenty of ways to make your house less
attractive to those intent on breaking in.
Make it hard enough and maybe they'll decide to find an
easier mark.
Monitored alarm systems, with warning stickers on the front
windows, are considered by many to be the top end of town in home security.
Usually, they work via motion sensors, with alarm signals
going to a central observation point, which quickly passes on to police details of
possible break-ins. But these systems can be relatively expensive.
There are many other procedures and precautions which home
owners can take to deter thieves and/or to help recover goods after a break-in.
The trick is to think like a burglar. If you wanted to
break into your home, how would you go about it?
How do you get in when you lock your keys inside?
You will realise that the most vulnerable parts of the home
are doors and windows. And that burglars fear being seen and being heard.
1. Unlikely Villains
- Don't have your name on your letterbox or on the front of
your house. It allows a would-be miscreant to look up your phone number and call to find
out if you are home.
- Put a lock on your letterbox. Much identity fraud starts
with items stolen from the mail.
- If you have a tiled roof, the manhole can be an easy access
to your home. Fit a locking device to deter thieves from dropping in.
- When you buy expensive items, don't throw the boxes into the
recycling whole. They advertise to thieves that there's something worthwhile on offer.
Either cut up the box or at least flatten it and hide it under other recycling.
- Don't throw away documents with personal identifying
details. Bank statements, credit card statements and accounts should be shredded.
2. External Doors
- Keep them shut and locked when you're out in the back garden
or at the opposite end of the house for a long time. Lock your front door when you're out
the back, your back door if you're working in the front garden. Brazen thieves will waltz
into an open door, grabbing what they can in an instant.
- Ensure external doors are solid. Hollow-construction doors
are easily smashed.
- Use deadlocks and deadbolts to secure external doors. Normal
spring locks can be opened with a credit card or knife. Deadbolts make it hard for thieves
to get in, and even more difficult to get out with larger stolen items. But a safety
warning. Don't have your home deadlocked while you're home, unless you leave the key in
the door. In case of a fire, being unable to open your door without going to find the keys
could well be fatal. A combination of working smoke detectors and sensible use of
deadlocks could save your life.
- Strong security doors, with restricted-vision mesh, allow
fresh air in but keep bad eggs out.
- Install a wide-angle peephole in your front door. That way,
you won't be opening the door to just anyone. You may even want to attach security chains.
- Sliding doors should have metal deadbolts which prevent them
from being lifted and removed.
3. Sundry Tips
- Cut down the number of places an evildoer can lurk
undetected. This may mean removing thick foliage along the boundary.
- A dog inside is a great deterrent. It stands to reason they
can protect you better if they're closer. But if you have a canine outside and it is
barking, look out the window to check why.
- Make sure your front door can be seen from the street. If
that means trimming back plants, do it. Burglars like to work where they can't be seen.
- Make sure your house number is clearly visible from the
street. This makes life easier for the police or other emergency services.
- Install a phone line in the main bedroom. It means you don't
have to make yourself any more vulnerable if there's an intruder in the house, as you go
to phone the police.
- Have emergency services numbers in the phone memory.
- Ensure external gates are securely locked.
- If your computer or other expensive gear is near a window
and is visible from outside, close the curtain or blinds when you're out.
- Don't have your name and address on your key ring.
- If moving into a new home, change the door locks.
4. Windows
- Fit windows with locks, preferably all keyed alike (this
will make exit in an emergency far easier). A common window latch can be removed in
seconds, using a butter knife or similar tool.
- Security screens and shutters make life extremely difficult
for burglars.
- All of the above is useless if you don't lock them when you
go out.
5. Lighting
- As we've discussed, criminals hate to be seen. So automatic
sensor-activated lights outside can be a major deterrent. Especially if they aim down the
drive and across the front of the home. But adjust them so they don't snap on every time
someone walks past on the footpath. And if they flash on, open the curtains and see what
tripped it. If you see someone lurking where they shouldn't be, call the police.
- Don't neglect street lighting. It really isn't somebody
else's problem if it makes your home less secure.
- Install interior light timers for use when you're out or
away.
- Ensure that you have lights, switched from inside, to cover
your back garden. That way when you or the dog hear that noise outside, you can check via
a window or sliding door, without going outside.
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