Many people will be leaving their home during the next couple of months to travel across town or even across the country to visit family and friends for the holiday season and according to the FBI, a home burglary occurs every 13 seconds in the United States. It is important to prep your home and put safety precautions in place before hitting the road or boarding an airplane to ensure you don’t return to a total nightmare. Krav Maga Worldwide, the industry leader in self-defense and safety, has put together tips for deterring burglars and keeping homes safe during holiday travel season.
Remove opportunities for burglars to hide from view by keeping bushes and trees trimmed. Try to keep these types of plants away from windows where burglars could use them as cover for breaking and entering.
Install adequate lighting around your home, especially walkways and entry areas. Motion sensors are highly recommended and can scare away an intruder. When away from home for an extended time period, also consider at least two light timers to turn on and off in a logical sequence.
Doors and Locks
- Make sure you have sturdy, metal or solid-wood doors at all entries into your home and install well-made deadbolt locks on all exterior doors. Install a dowel or pin to prevent sliding glass doors from being compromised. If you have a garage, ensure the overhead garage door has a lock. Do not rely solely on the automatic garage door opener to secure the area.
Cameras, Alarms and other safety gadgets.
- Research hi-tech gadgets that can help monitor your home while you are away. Cameras, alarms, smart locks and other hi-tech items can make it tougher for burglars to gain access to your property as well as deter them from even attempting to break in.
Neighbors.
- Inform trusted neighbors that you will be away and ask them to keep an eye out for suspicious activity around your house. Supply them with a spare key and also ask if they can collect any mail or packages that are left so that burglars don’t notice the mail piling up in your absence. If not, have the post office hold all mail and packages until you get back.
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