Home Safety
Don’t be an easy target for thieves.
Most home burglaries are the work of amateurs who are looking for a quick in and out. Make it look like someone is at home, especially while you are away.
Dos:
* Inspect all locks on exterior doors. If they can be opened with a screwdriver or a credit card, replace them with single cylinder deadbolt locks.
* Install outside lighting with motion sensors around the house and garage.
* Consider installing an alarm system. Make sure the sign for it can be easily seen from the street.
* Close and lock windows. Put a metal or wooden rod between windows and frames, especially in door walls.
* Keep shrubs in front of windows no higher than three feet tall. This makes it hard for a burglar to hide in them.
* Engrave a personal contact code on your TV and other valuables to make them harder to sell and easier to trace.
* Join or start a neighborhood watch group.
If your home will be vacant for several days or longer:
* Ask a relative or a neighbor you trust to watch your house. Consider leaving a key with one of them and ask them to do a periodic walk-through.
* Put a stop on delivery of mail and newspapers.
* Arrange for someone to mow the lawn or clear snow from the driveway and sidewalk. Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway.
* Preset automatic light timers to keep the house well-lit during the evening and make it look like someone is home.
* Keep a radio on while you are gone. Set it to a 24-hour news or talk station.
* Find out if your local police department keeps a “vacant house list.” This alerts police to drive by and check on your house if you are gone for a week or longer.
Action Step
Store valuable items in places not easily seen. As an extra preventive measure, put valuable jewelry in a bank safety deposit box.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine