Burglary Safety
No one wants to be the victim of a burglary. Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to help prevent burglary and to keep your family safe if they happen to be home during a burglary attempt. There are also precautions that can help you recover your stolen property if you are a victim of burglary. Does this Spark an idea?
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Look Busy
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According to the Memphis Police Department, burglars search residential areas for houses that look unoccupied and unattended. To avoid a burglary, it is important to make it look as though there is activity in your home. When leaving the house for an extended time, arrange for someone to pick up newspapers and mail daily. Keeping the lawn mowed is another way to keep burglars from assuming that a house is empty. When going on a long trip, ask a neighbor with two cars to park one in your driveway so that the house looks occupied. Use timers on lights and televisions to make it appear that someone is home.
Windows and Doors
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To help avoid burglary, the Memphis Police Department advises using deadbolt locks on all outside doors. Never leave the keys to these doors hidden outside under door mats or anywhere else, and make sure the door hinges are on the inside. High quality locks should also be used on windows and sliding glass doors, and garage doors should be kept locked. A garage door opener should never be left in a car that is parked outside. Glass panels located in or close to doors should be reinforced so they can not be broken.
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Outdoor Safety
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To reduce the likelihood of a burglary, store expensive lawn mowers, grills, bicycles, snow blowers and other outdoor items in a locked shed or garage. The Memphis Police Department recommends using curtains to cover shed and garage windows, so that potential burglars can not see what is being stored. Installing motion detector lighting and trimming shrubs and bushes close to the house help to make would-be burglars easier to spot. Even if expecting company, never pin notes on outside doors that indicate no one is currently home.
If Someone is Home
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If someone is at home when a burglar enters, Guardian Protection Services recommends leaving the house, if it is possible to do so safely, and then calling the police. If leaving safely is not possible, enter a room with a telephone, lock the door and call the police. If awakened in the night to discover a burglar in the room, Guardian Protection Services advises pretending to be asleep until the burglar leaves.
Other Safety Measures
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ServiceMaster recommends always using the peephole before opening the door to anyone and asking repairmen and salesmen for identification. When purchasing new electronic equipment, it is wise to break down the boxes and bag them for disposal rather than setting whole boxes out for the trash. The Memphis Police suggest changing the locks after moving into a new home or after losing a house key. ServiceMaster and the Memphis Police Department both recommend engraving a driver's license number onto valuable items to make them harder to sell and easier to track.
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References
- Photo Credit lock and bolt image by david hughes from Fotolia.com
