A security alarm system is an important part of your home security plan. In addition to your alarm, there are many things to keep in mind that will help you strengthen your security campaign. Be careful at all times and especially during the holidays, due to increased criminal activity.
* A quality lock on all perimeter doors is always your first line of defense. A door is often the point of entry for an intruder. If you don’t have a quality lock, the perpetrator knows that one good hit will break the unfortified wood that holds the door’s lock cylinder in place. A quick entry and closing of the door hides the damage, as it will be inside.
* If you just moved into your home or business, you need to change the key cylinders on all the locks, as you don’t know who has a copy of the key.
* Cut the cable handle on your electric garage door openers. It’s easy to push the top of your garage door in enough to fit a wire hanger and engage the release handle. By pulling on the handle, a thief will override the screw or chain drive and be able to manually lift the overhead door. Once protected by the privacy of your garage, entry into the house is unavoidable. Be sure to leave enough wire so you can use it from the inside if you need to, but not enough to reach the top of the swing gate!
* Thieves hate light. You should replace exterior perimeter lighting with motion-activated lamps. These are very inexpensive these days and are available at most hardware and electronics stores. The protection they will provide, along with the convenience of having a well-lit area to come home to, makes them a must-have.
* Put timers on some of your interior lights to give the appearance that someone is home. It’s always smart to vary the time every few days so you don’t get a pattern, if you’re being boxed in. X10 creates a variable timer that will change the time automatically.
* If your last name is posted on your mailbox, a thief can get your phone number from the information. By calling your phone with no answer, they might assume you’re not home.
* Lower the volume on your answering machine so thieves can’t hear that no one is home if the phone rings.
* Do not hide the keys outside your house, as they will find them. Leave a spare with a trusted neighbor instead.
* Leaving ladders and tools outside your home can trigger a burglar urge, even if that wasn’t on today’s schedule.
* When leaving home for the daily grind, be sure to vary your times and direction of travel. His repetitive actions are a gift to would-be thieves who are always on the lookout for their next victim.
* Remove or place a light in bushes that can easily hide a thief waiting on the site.
* When buying new appliances like televisions or stereos and computers, be sure to hide or destroy the boxes. The new valuables are an invitation to a thief’s already warped senses.
* Never tell a stranger that you are home alone.
* Install a peephole viewer, if you don’t have a convenient window to check who’s at your door before opening it to a stranger.
* If someone asks to use your phone for an emergency, take the information behind closed doors and let them know that you will make the call for them.
* If you see signs of entry, DO NOT ENTER the house. Go to the neighbors, to ask for help and be aware of strange cars or people near your house.
* Always keep your cell phone in your room with you. If the phone lines are cut, you will need it to call for help.
* Do not leave a purse, wallet, or laptop on counters that can be seen from a window. This will almost always trigger a forced entry.
* Security signs without proper security company window stickers can lead a passing thief to believe that you don’t really have an alarm system installed.
* When you travel, put your office address and cell phone numbers on your luggage tags. A baggage handler will know you’re not home.
* Remove all address information from your car parked at the airport. Anyone who breaks into your vehicle will know you’re not home and will have your address and garage door opener.
* Don’t leave notes on the door telling someone you’re not home and what time you’ll be back.