When we enter the season of delight, gifts, and family reunions, you must not be content with the safety of your home. December is an economically difficult month for many. There are some drawbacks to this holiday season due to the gifts to buy and the celebrations to attend.
You see, Christmas is a very busy time not only for you but also for thieves. It is estimated that the theft rate will increase by 20-30% over the 15 days of Christmas. Criminals benefit from theft, vandalism, and pickpocketing and celebrate their holidays with criminal activity. According to Halifax, 1,382 cases were recorded last year, with an average of about 50 cases recorded daily during Christmas.
So why are thieves likely to attack during the holiday season? The simple reason is that homes are flooded with easily accessible items for robbery and sale, and homeowners usually inadvertently relax their vigilance during vacations.
Ways to Keep Your House Secure From Burglars
1. Be sure to lock doors and close windows when leaving your home
Unfortunately, many forget to close and lock all doors and windows properly – especially when we get higher than the ground floor.
It is a common mistake to think that the thief can’t enter your home through a window or a door above the ground floor.
When you make burglary and theft protection of your home, you should always remember to lock all doors and windows.
“And remember that the insurance typically does not cover if the home has not been properly locked.”
2. When you leave your home, it is a good idea to look still inhabited.
Burglars carefully select their victims before committing burglary. They usually choose the homes where it looks like the family is not home. Especially signs of vacation attract thieves. Therefore, you can make your home more secure by making it look like someone is at home. You can do this in the following ways:
- Indoor lighting
Light in the house is a sign of life and activity, and burglars do not like it. Therefore, make sure to create natural lighting in the home when you are not at home. Also, remember ceiling lamps, as they will usually also be on when you are at home.
- Let the radio play and the TV run – possibly.
You can track the thief into thinking you’re home by leaving the radio and TV on when you’re away for short periods.
- Artificial candles with timer
If you’ve artificial candles, these can put on a timer so that they turn on, for example, after 4 hours (or adjusted when it gets dark)
- Clean-up is nice, but a little mess does not hurt.
Avoid cleaning your home completely before going on vacation. A home in use will usually have little things lying around.
For example, leave the children’s toys on the floor and leave a few plates on the kitchen table. Outside you can leave a wheelbarrow, children’s toys, a water hose, or similar in the garden. However, remember to lock the garden tools out of the way.
3. Social distance does not apply completely to burglary protection – ask the neighbors for help.
You and your neighbors can help each other by keeping an eye on each other’s homes. You can help each other by making your home look inhabited with everyday activities when no one is home.
You can easily do this in different ways:
- Let the neighbor empty the mailbox.
A crammed mailbox is a sign that no one is home, so give the key to your neighbor when you leave.
- Have your neighbor park in your driveway
A car or bicycle in the driveway signals that someone is at home at the address.
- Mow the grass/shovel snow
If your outdoor area around your home is not maintained, the burglar knows you are not home.
Therefore, agree with someone to mow the grass, remove snow, etc.
4. Don’t flash your valuable things in any window.
Store your most important documents, valuables, jewelry, heirlooms, etc., in a theft-proof safe – bolted or built-in – that the thief cannot break or take with. Or let the neighbor keep your things for you while you are away.
5. Lock tools and implements inside
Often, the burglar has no tools with him but instead takes advantage of all available options that your home offers. Garden tools, bricks, and other tools are lying ahead. Therefore, make sure to lock your shed, and clear all garden tools and implements out of the way so that you do not make it easy for the thief to break in.
6. Cut the hedge
A low hedge or a low wooden fence that neighbors and passers-by can look over makes it harder for the burglar to work in peace.
7. Lock interior doors
Strong burglary and theft protection involves replacing all locks in the home with locks that require a key. Locking all your interior doors makes it difficult for the burglar to get around the house and out with the thieves.
8. An alarm system is the best security for your windows:
Unfortunately, it is difficult to prevent the burglar from smashing a window. Therefore, an alarm system is the ultimate best solution.
A good alarm system contains both door and window magnets with vibration detectors, which detect if someone smashes a window or tries to open a door or window.
9. Set the alarm for holidays:
Remember to activate the holiday period on your alarm system if you travel away at Christmas, on summer holiday, or other, so we can see that you are on holiday and who to contact as the first if the alarm goes off. It is also important that you update your contact list – it may be that your contacts are also on holiday. All users must know the password and operate the alarm system.
10. Get a Security Assessment.
If you’re still worried about this holiday season, check with an expert for security. The Locksmith Tampa can check your locks and recommend an upgrade. They can install CCTV cameras and alarm systems on your property without spending a lot of money on you.
Locksmith Near Me Tampa Bay Calls us today to make your home burglary-proof this Christmas.
