With roughly 2.5 million burglaries reported each year in the U.S., around three-fourths of them involving residences, chances are the bad guys have at least considered breaking into your house. The key to staying safe and secure is to make it as difficult as possible for them to turn you into a crime statistic.
Here are five steps you can take to protect your home and your valuables.
1. Install a Home Security System
This may seem like the obvious way to prevent break-ins, but this will help you sleep a bit more soundly at night and feel more confident about your home and personal possessions while you’re away. A home security company will also make sure that your system is installed and working properly while also being alerted of any breaches in your home.
2. The Key to Staying Safe
Don’t hide an extra key in the obvious areas like in your mailbox, under the doormat or beneath a big rock in your yard. Burglars know all about these so-called hiding places. Instead, exchange keys with a trusted neighbor. The people who live nearby can help keep an eye on your house when you’re away. A good neighbor might call the police if they see something out of the ordinary going on at your home.
3. Safeguard the Interior of Your Home
Install outdoor lighting with motion sensors, and replace burned out bulbs on a regular basis. If you’re going to be away from home for a while, put some of the lights inside your house on timers so the burglars won’t know you’re gone.
If the locks aren’t working right, fix them or replace them right away. If you have a sliding glass patio door, secure it with a door jamb or a rod in the track behind the door. You might also think about adjusting the track so the door can’t be removed from the outside.
4. Post Security Signs
If you have a burglar alarm system installed in your home, don’t forget to post the signs and window stickers provided by the security company. There’s no question that burglars prefer homes without security systems.
5. Replace Your Locks
Make sure your doors are fortified by a dead-bolt lock that penetrates the door frame. And take a look at your doors as well. Make certain they are solid wood or metal and in good shape, and that the hinges are protected so they can’t be removed from the outside. Installing a peep hole is also a good idea so you can see who is knocking on your front door.
Pop-A-Lock’s professionally licensed and bonded locksmiths can re-key or install locks for residential and commercial properties. Call Pop-A-Lock 24/7 today at (361) 851-6736 or visit www.PopALockCorpusChristi.com to learn more about how to protect your home, apartment, condo or business from burglars and other intruders.
Corpus Christi, TX 78408