Holiday
Checklist
Did you remember to lock that verandah
door? And who was in charge of getting
the newspaper and mail delivery stopped?
Don't let nagging doubts about the
security of your home ruin your vacation.
Print out this checklist to make sure
your security strategies will stay
in force even when you're away.
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Windows
Windows are left unlocked and open
at a much higher rate than doors.
An open window, visible from the street
or an alley, may be the sole reason
for your home to be selected by a
burglar. Ground floor windows are
more susceptible to break-ins for
obvious reasons. Upper floor windows
become attractive if they can be accessed
from a stairway, tree, fence, or by
climbing on balconies.
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Neighbours
Get your
neighbourhood involved in the 'Neighbourhood
Watch' scheme. Good neighbours should
look out for each other. Get
to know your neighbours on each side
of your home and directly across the
street. Invite them into your
home, communicate often, and establish
trust. Good neighbours will
watch out for your home or apartment
when you are away, if you ask them
to.
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Lighting
Interior
lighting is necessary to show signs
of life and activity inside a residence.
A dark home night after night sends
the message to burglars that you are
away on a trip. Light timers
are cheap and can be found in almost
all supermarkets.
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Doors
& Locks
The first
step is to make your home more difficult
to enter than the next. Remember,
the burglar may simply bypass your
home if it requires too much effort
or requires more skill and tools than
they possess. Most burglars
choose to enter through the front,
back, or garage doors. Experienced
burglars know that the garage door
is usually the weakest
followed by the back door.
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Alarm
Systems
An electronic alarm system in it's
simplest form, is a low-voltage electrical
circuit with sensors on entry doors
and windows. When the circuit is broken,
like when a door or window is opened,
its sensor detects the interruption
in the flow of electricity and triggers
a warning signal such as a siren or
strobe light. In addition to door
and window sensors, many systems also
include motion detectors that monitor
large areas inside the house.
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Business
Keep areas around the store clean to
aid visibility. Display your most valuable
articles furthest away from entry points
of the store to force a burglar to take
the longest possible escape route. Keep
merchandise displays organized to allow
maximum visibility throughout the store.
Check cupboards and toilets before you
lock up. You don't need an unwanted
visitor staying inside your store after
closing hours.
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Safes
Safes come in
all sorts of sizes and shapes. They
are very useful for household or business
security. Most amateur burglars would
not know how to crack a safe without
a great deal of noise or time. A good
safe is the best bet for home and
business security.
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Valuables
Your belongings should stay that way,
and if they do get into the hands
of somebody else you should follow
some simple steps to increase the
chances of you getting them back.
To start with you should make an inventory
of your belongings. Just go through
every room in your house and make
a list of all the things you own,
(this does not mean underwear and
socks!) things like jewelry and antiques,
tv, video player, stereo, dvd player
etc. If this is done at least if something
happens like a robbery or fire you
have a list to give to the appropriate
parties (eg. insurance or police).
In your list write down details such
as model and serial number.
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Vehicles
You must be careful what you leave
in your car, or, if you are going
to leave something in your car make
sure it is out of plain view so as
not to tempt would-be thieves. There
are different ways of keeping your
vehicle secure, from car alarms to
immobilisers and even just a plain
old sticker so as to fool amateurs.
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Basic Computer Security
Huge corporations spend millions of
dollars each year on trying to make
sure their computers are safe. But
if you own a personal computer at
home, the truth is your computer is
probably already alot more safe than
those that they own. Many of their
problems relate to glitches in their
networking software and such. This
does not mean that you are safe though.
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Home Security
Try to avoid letting people into your
home that you do not know or trust,
if they do come knocking on your door
deal with them through the door or
go outside to talk to them. It is
not necessary for them to know what
belongings you have in your home and
where they are.
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