There used to be a time when everyone left their doors and cars unlocked, that time has long since passed. It is important now, more than ever before, to stay diligent when it comes to the home safety. Here are some tips to help ensure that you family and home stay safe:
1) Leave Your Outside Lights On
Ne’er do wells like to hide in the shadows. Don’t give them a shadow to hide in. Even if your street is well lit with streetlights, leave your outdoor lights on and encourage your neighbors to do the same.
2) Know Your Neighbors
Do you live next to a family with children or an elderly couple? Is there a teenage driver in the family? More importantly what do you neighbors look like? Know your neighbors, and know what they drive! Otherwise, when a new and possibly suspicious person is in and around your neighborhood you won’t know the difference.
3) Communication
How do you communicate with your neighbors? If you don’t have a clear answer to this, then chances are you’re missing a simple and easy way to help make your neighborhood safer. Be sure and check out www.callingpost.com for some examples of how other neighborhoods communicate.
4) Get A Security System
Picture a neighborhood where every single house has a security system and one of those little signs in the front yard. Now think of the ne’er do wells driving around looking for a house to burglarize. Chances are those guys will keep driving. Inf fact studies show that as the number of security systems in a neighborhood increase the number of burglaries in the entire area decrease. Check out this study from Rutgers for more info.
5) Close Blinds & Windows At Night
Police officers will tell you that most crimes are crimes of opportunity. That laptop, big screen, and Xbox are a lot less enticing to ne’er do wells when they can’t see it. Leaving the blinds open at night just makes it easier to determine your house layout, habits, and rather your home or not. Just think of it as an open invitation.
Finally, improving the safety of your neighborhood is a team effort. You can’t do it alone! Be sure and get to know your neighbors and pass this information along while you’re at it.