Home Safety Tips

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Tips on Home Security

One of the most most common threats to your home or residence is burglary. According to the FBI statistics, a house is burglarized every 15.4 seconds. Although burglary is a property crime, becoming a victim of burglary can leave you and your family feeling vulnerable and violated. To avoid becoming a victim of burglary, it is important to first gain an understanding how the common burglar thinks.

The majority of home and apartment burglaries occur during the daytime when most people are away at work or school. The summer months of July and August have the most burglaries. Burglaries are committed most often by young males looking for items that are small, expensive, and can easily be converted to cash. Some of their favorite items are cash, jewelry, guns, watches, notebook computers, DVD, CD & MP3 players, video game consoles, and other small electronic devices. Statistics tell us that most burglars use force to enter a dwelling, but they preference easy access through an open door or window. Ordinary household tools like screwdrivers, pliers, pry bars, and hammers are most often used by burglars.

Although home burglaries may seem random in occurrence, they actually involve a selection process. Burglar's tend to choose homes that are unoccupied and those that have the easiest access, the greatest amount of cover, and the best escape routes. What follows is a list of suggestions to minimize your risk by making your home unattractive to potential burglars.

Light the outside of your home to make it more visible to your neighbors. Outside motion detector lights can make very difficult for an intruder to approach your residence without being seen.
Trim bushes near doors and windows to reduce hiding places for burglars.
Make sure that all outside doors are solid core or metal and install high quality dead-bolt locks. Make sure you can unlock all doors from the inside without a key to allow a quick escape from a fire.
Install peepholes in all outside doors.
Borrow or purchase an engraver to mark stereo equipment, computers, cameras, lawnmowers and other valuables. Engraving makes stolen property more difficult sell and can also lead to the apprehension of the criminals who initially stole it.
Don’t keep expensive jewelry, valuable collectibles, or large amounts of cash in your home. If you do, ensure that they are stored away in a hidden safe or other secure area.
Keep a list of your valuables and their serial numbers. A videotape, photograph, or sales receipts will not only help with insurance claims, but will aid in the prosecution of individuals who are apprehended with these items in their possession.
Install locks on windows. Windows are a favorite access point for burglars. All sliding doors should have "ventilation locks". Screens and storms should be latched on the inside. Include locks on garage and basement windows.
Don’t advertise your absence. Never leave a message on your answering machine that says you are away for a few days or on vacation. Before you leave, set timers so that lights, TVs, and radios go on and off. Have someone pick up the mail, pick up newspapers, set out trash, mow the lawn or shovel snow if you are away. If your home is going to be vacant for an extended period of time, you may also contact the North Bergen Police Department to give notice of your absence.
Close your garage door. An empty garage says you’re not at home. Thieves can easily steal bikes, lawnmowers, snow blowers and other valuables. Burglars can close the garage door and take their time to steal valuables and burglarize your home.
If possible, install a garage door opener with a light. A remote opener and a lighted garage will help you enter and leave your home safely. Test the door to make sure it reverses easily when it hits something.
Even if your vehicle is parked in your garage, lock it and keep your valuables out of sight. Don’t store the title for your car in the glove compartment. You will need it to prove ownership if the car is stolen.
If your residence is equipped with a burglar alarm or other electronic monitoring device, make sure that it is operating properly. An alarm system that doesn't work will not protect your home. In addition, repeat false alarms will diminish the alarm's effectiveness by causing your neighbors to believe that "it is just another false alarm."