Home invasions and robberies are said to break the bank twice as much as moving to a new place. Imagine years worth of collected items, valuables, and even heirloom pieces, only to get stolen in one go.
Organized crimes like burglary and robbery are well-planned and carefully executed. Burglars don’t just break in. Robbers don’t just take. Crime mobs and rings observe, think ahead, and team up with other people.
Whether or not you think your location is at risk, it’s always good to be steps ahead. Prioritize the protection of your home as well as your loved ones in it. Below are useful and practical tips to keep danger at bay.
Avoid posting your address on social media
Posting your home location increases your chances of getting stalked, robbed, and assaulted. Sometimes, this also means risking your personal data and digital files to hacking.
Even if you live in a tightly guarded enclave, exposing your address to strangers online still poses a huge risk. While it’s common to see geotags of villages and condos on social media, it’s better to resist the urge of flaunting and overexposure.
You can show the world how great your place looks, but you must always keep some to yourself. Refrain from using geotags of your home address or village on your posts and stories, especially if you are currently in that place.
Another tip would be turning off your phone location when not in use. This can be a source of danger, especially risks of being a cybercrime victim. Malicious hackers can use this information to track the daily activities of unsuspecting people and attack them eventually.
Keep an eye on entry points
Unsecured windows, doors with faulty locks, and easily openable gates should have no place in your home. As much as possible, all entry points must have their designated locks that are secure and functional.
Ideally, all doors should have three locks or more: one pushable door knob lock and three metallic locks of your choice: these can be latches like sliding bolts or chain locks, then deadbolts or even simple padlocks.
For tenants or condo owners, don’t overestimate digital security. Make sure that your surroundings are safe when inputting biometric data on your front door, such as fingerprints or facial scans. Don’t give your entrance passcodes away to anyone.
Lookouts from crime rings notice if you are too complacent (e.g. always leaving your entry points open). This gives them the chance to break in when you least expect it. Always be observant in your vicinity and lock all of your entry points even if you’re at home.
Modify your barriers and fences
For tenants, you most likely don’t have control over the way your rented place is designed. The best thing to do is to adapt and improvise. If you live in a high rise building with a balcony, bolster your railings. Use security mesh or grease the top of the railings.
If you live on the ground floor, inform your landlord of any suspicious activities that pose a threat to tenants. Choose quality locks for your door. If you have extra budget, then purchase screen doors and windows. You can double your protection: from break-ins or robberies, and keep insects at bay too.
For homeowners, use barbed wire or glass shards especially if you have low barriers. If you’re planning to build a home, consider making your fences or barriers really high. Make it impossible for intruders to climb or jump successfully onto your house.
Homeowners can invest in anti-climb paint, which is specifically put on top of fences or poles. This paint is very slippery and it never dries. Meanwhile, you can also put thorny plants on your fences to serve as anti-climb spikes.
Get guard dogs
As much as we should be caring for pets, we can also use them to our advantage. The best dog breeds to get for protecting your home are Doberman pinschers, Rottweilers, and German shepherds.
Don’t get friendly dog breeds, because they will just ignore intruders. Do your research and find out what the perfect dog breed for you is. The suggestions above are among the best ones, but you may not necessarily like them. It’s good to look up dogs that you like and get the job done at the same time.
Make sure that your guard dogs are trained. You, along with the people you trust, should be their only master. Be kind to your guard dogs and don’t abuse them, so they stay loyal to you. Feed and bathe them regularly. Take them to the vet if you have to.
For other options on guard animals, you can check out this list of the most unlikely animals that saved people and homes from different kinds of danger.
Make use of security technology
Closed circuit television cameras or CCTVs are not just for convenience stores and businesses. If you don’t feel safe, it’s best to install these cameras in spots where you think perpetrators will attack.
Put up warning signs on your gate or your doors to scare off intruders. Make sure that your cameras are working everyday, especially at night. Needless to say, most break-ins happen when people aren’t alert. With security cameras, you can counter this.
If you want to take this up a notch, consider purchasing PIR motion detectors on your barriers and entry points. This is helpful especially if your area is burglary and robbery prone. If you sense intrusion, call the authorities immediately.
It also helps to have a security alarm at home. This not only alerts you for possible home intrusions, but also the people around you: this signals to them that you are in trouble and you need help. For more information on security systems, click here.
Team up with your neighborhood
It’s nice to know that some people have your back. With this in mind, make friends with your neighbors, relatives and friends nearby, as well as the captain and the police officers in your town.
Neighbors can serve as lookouts when you’re away. Captains and police officers are sure to help you when a break-in and/or a robbery happens, and will help catch the perpetrators.
It can be hard to make friends with the people in your area, especially if you just moved into town. The first few months comprise the rough and bumpy adjustment period, but once you settle and get familiar with your neighborhood, you’re good.
There are some instances where people have suspicious neighbors and untrustworthy officers in their town. If this is the case, seek the help of higher officials and inform reliable persons of your situation. If something bad happens to you, there is automatically a lead.
Did we miss anything?
In times of uncertainty, it’s best to invest in safety and protection. Life is valuable, and so is your home. It doesn’t matter if you’re a young tenant or a homeowner. It matters if you're aware of your surroundings, and if you’re cautious of potential intruders and attackers.
What else do you have in mind? Which tip do you think is the most practical one? Did this convince you to upgrade your home security system? This hopefully gave you an idea to be more aware and cautious when it comes to your home.
Sources:
Millan, C. (2020, December 10). Top 10 Best Guard Dogs | Find the Best for You. Cesar’s Way. https://www.cesarsway.com/top-10-best-guard-dogs/
O’Donnell, A. (2020, March 13). Why Sharing Your Location on Social Media Is a Bad Thing. Lifewire. https://www.lifewire.com/why-sharing-your-location-on-social-media-is-a-bad-thing-2487165
Pendragon, P. (2017, September 22). Six Ways to Make Friends with Your Neighbors and Why. Pendragon. https://pendragonhomes.com/2017/09/27/six-ways-make-friends-neighbors/
Wan, K. (2021, April 26). How to disable location services on your phone. Digital Trends. https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-disable-location-services-on-ios-and-android/