Preventing Property Crime—What you can do to reduce your risk?
Our homes aren’t just structures, they’re sanctuaries for our families and a safeguard of our memories, our accomplishments, our histories. Our homes are an extension of who are.
Perhaps that’s why property crime, even when very minor, can be so disturbing. Here’s a few tips on how to avoid being victimized.
GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS Nothing keep a community safe like people who look out for each other. Be aware the normal routines and cast of characters around the block, so when something is out of the ordinary, you notice and can alert the right person. That’s not nosy, it’s neighborly (most of the time!).
DON’T BE AN EASY TARGET Basically, make it harder for a burglar to break in. Invest in doors and windows that are well-made and have strong locks. Doors should have deadbolts. Sliding doors should have vertical bolts, and it’s always a good idea to block the track with a dowel or metal rod. Keep doors and windows locked appropriately, especially the doors to attached garages. Inspect your fences and screens regularly and mend them when needed.
DON’T BE AN ATTRACTIVE TARGET Out of sight, out of mind, as your elders used to say. Don’t leave valuables like jewelry and expensive electronics in plain sight, especially when you’re not home or in your car when you’re parked outside in a public place. Remember, everyone at some point thought ‘it won’t happen to me.
DON’T BE A HELPFUL TARGET Make sure you’re not accidentally helping a burglar out. Don’t leave sturdy trash bins under windows you regularly leave open on upper floors. Keep sharp or heavy tools and gardening equipment locked in the garage, so they don’t inadvertently become accomplices to breaking and entering.
BURGLARS SHOULD BE SEEN & HEARD This part of not being a helpful target is so important that it has its own section. It’s important to do everything you can to make sure that an offender would be visible if they tried to commit a crime on your property. This involves keeping areas around your house well lit, with the installation of motion lighting, for example. It’s also a good idea to prune large shrubs, which look nice and offer shade, but they also provide cover to offenders who only need a minute or two to break in through a window or door.
These aren’t the only measure you can take to reduce the risk of property crime, but the basics go a long way to protecting your family and your home. Like so much else in life, paying attention to little things on a regular basis goes a long way!