NEW TO THE SITE:
|
|
Seven Ways to Make Your Home More Secure
According to Statistics Canada, some 242,000 residential burglaries were reported
in 1996 - nearly one every two minutes. The average loss per crime was $2750.00
rising to $2900.00 a year later. But people lose more than possessions: They lose
peace of mind.
What can you do to keep from becoming a victim? Police officers from across Canada
agree that there are several things that you can do to help minimize your risk to
burglary.
Excess Shrubbery
Remove excess shrubbery around first floor windows and doorways. Giving better
visibility to the street and adjoining neighbours. If you prefer your privacy and
the greenery consider using "protective shrubbery". What burglar would risk tangling
with a thorny bush to get at a window.
Lighting
Lighting is an excellent way to discourage burglars. Think about installing exterior
lighting out of a thief's reach. Use of automatic timers or photoelectric switches
that turn the lights on at dusk and off at dawn. Remember any light is better than
no light so work with what you have if you don't wish to go to the extra expense.
Windows
An open or insecure window is an inviting point of entry. One study found that
20 percent of all burglaries happen this way. Those flimsy twist latches mounted
with short screws can be opened with one twist of a burglar's knife. A better
approach for sliding doors and windows is to pin two parts of the window together.
Close the window and drill holes through the frames where they overlap, one on each
side. Then slide long nails in each hole, securing the window shut. To open it, just
pull the nails partway out.
If you have crank-out casement windows, experts say are usually adequate. As an
added precaution, simply remove the crank handle. Jalousie, or louvered, windows,
made from slatted panes are the least secure and should be replaced or barred.
Windows can be made less accessible by moving common items that can be used to climb
in - ladders, trashcans and sheds under first floor windows. Also remember to add
security bars to fortify any basement windows you mat have.
Doors
One of the biggest areas of home security problems is doors. According to one U.S.
study, almost 64 percent of burglars enter through the front or back door. Their job
is made simpler by poor locks, breakable doors or both. Doors containing a small
window or windows are the most exposed. Thieves only need to break the glass, reach
inside and unlock the door.
Experts recommend installing a double-cylinder lock that takes keys on both sides.
Keep the indoor key out of sight and out of reach of potential thieves but be sure
all family members know where it is so they can get out in case of fire. Some local
fire codes ban double-cylinder locks check before installing one.
For even greater security, consider the new safety glass designed for windowed
doors. For sliding doors experts recommend securing the stationary side with
manufacturer's pins these are often overlooked by installers. Then insert a folding
"Charlie bar" or a dowel onto the track. Some break-ins occur when a thief removes
a sliding door, try and fit your pinkie between the top of the door and the upper
track. That big a gap means a burglar could lift the door up and pull it out.
The solution:
Open the door and set two extra screws in the top track so that the heads protrude
enough to fill the gap. Even a solid wood or steel door needs a good dead-bolt lock;
experts say burglars can get through spring-loaded, push button locks with a credit
card in about three seconds. Your safety also depends on how securely the door is
seated in its frame.
The key to that is a steel reinforced strike plate - the metal on the side of your
doorframe that holds the bolt in place. You can buy a beefed up security-grade
strike plate, but as long as the bolt enters the house frame by at least 3 1/2
centimetres, you may not need one.
Instead, remove all the screws in your existing strike plate and replace them with
seven centimetre screws that will penetrate the two by four house frame alongside
the jamb. This will keep the lock in place and help prevent the whole doorframe from
being torn away.
Garage Doors
Always keep garage doors locked. The garage door can be the home's most vulnerable
entry point. Have you recoded your automatic garage-door openers since they were
installed? Most homeowners have never heard of recoding. The remote signal that
opens older garage doors is based on a generic factory setting. It will open any
door with the same code.
Thieves with stolen remotes or remotes that they have purchased at a home supply
store cruise neighbourhoods, randomly clicking on houses until a garage door opens.
If you're going away for an extended period of time consider unplugging the motor
that opens the garage door and put a padlock on the track.
Security Systems
Providing security services is one of the fastest-growing services in Canada.
The number of single-family homes with security systems has jumped 30 percent a
year for the past 5 years. Security systems are virtually worthless, however, in
an otherwise unsecured home. It takes burglars an average of 60 seconds to break
into a home and less than 10 minutes to rob it.
But suburban police officers often average 15 minutes to respond to an alarm,
and city response time may be much higher. Up to 98 percent of all calls are false
alarms; so responding to alarm calls is a lower priority than to responding to
life-threatening situations.
Still, many experts maintain that alarm systems may be deterrents if they are
properly maintained and used in conjunction with all the basics. Before deciding
on one, interview at least three companies, then request an on site survey from
your local police department's crime-prevention unit.
Make sure to encase all outside electrical wiring for your security system and
phone lines in a pipe at least three metres high on the wall. Also be careful when
power companies inform neighbourhoods of power outages during regular maintaince.
Should thieves become aware of this they could potentially seize the opportunity to
burglarize alarmed homes in the neighbourhood while the power is off.
Neighbourhood Watch Groups
One thing that is common in every neighbourhood is empty streets most of the day.
But there's usually someone home in the neighbourhood. Keep an eye on your
neighbours' property, ask them to do the same for you, and call the police if you
hear breaking glass, see someone lurking about or notice anything suspicious.
You might also consider joining a community crime-watch group. Criminals know which
neighbourhoods have watch groups and they avoid them like the plague.
The local police department can help you set up a program.
Some simple precautions include:
- Be sure that your mailbox is big enough to hide your day's mail.
- Use an answering machine so your phone doesn't ring unanswered - but never leave
a message saying you're not in. Say, "I'm not available right now."
- If can give it proper care, get a dog. Or put a big, scuffed-up dog dish on your
front porch.
- Put up a security system sign visible from the road. It's a proven deterrent.
- When you buy a new television,VCR or computer don't leave the empty carton on the
front lawn for trash pickup - thieves will notice. Cut up the carton and dispose of
it.
If you're going away over the holidays remember:
- Use at least two interior timers - for lights in two different rooms -
programmed to give the illusion of someone at home.
- Hire someone to shovel the walk if you are going away. Untouched snow on your
walkway is a clear signal no one is home.
- Leave a news or talk radio station playing on a kitchen radio.
- Add a glass of water or a cup of coffee on the kitchen table.
|
|
