Thwart Winter Home Thefts with these Easy Steps
Many Canadians try to slip the icy grip of Canada’s notoriously long, cold winter by heading south for a much-needed dose of sun and sand. But snowbirds on extended vacation, and others on shorter getaways, can’t forget about security for their homes while they’re in warmer climes trying to forget about Old Man Winter. Insurance companies warn that claims for property thefts, resulting from residential burglaries, climb dramatically in winter months when many travelers leave their homes unoccupied and not adequately protected.
Follow these easy steps to ensure your home is safe and secure while you are away. 1. Use a deadbolt on all ground floor doors. A good deadbolt comes with a Grade 1 security rating (the highest level of home security available) and will deter wrench attacks, feature anti-pry shields and offer picking and bumping resistance. 2. Use something like a Weiser SmartKey system. Don’t hide spare keys under doormats or inside potted plants. Anything hidden can be found. The Weiser SmartKey allows you to re-key your locks yourself, meaning you can leave a spare key with a neighbour or for a service technician, and then change the lock when you get home so that key no longer works. 3. Put timers on your interior lights and home electronics. Lights that turn on as darkness falls leave the impression that somebody is home. A similar effect can be achieved by putting a home stereo or television on a timer. 4. Invest in a home alarm system that provides perimeter and interior detection services. 5. Don’t tell the world that your home is empty. This seems logical, but Tweets or Facebook status updates bragging about an upcoming vacation are all too common. It’s not too difficult to use pictures or other hints on these sites to deduce where you live, letting any would-be burglars know they have an easy target. 6. Ask a friend, or hire a young person in the neighbourhood, to pick up your mail and shovel your driveway so that it looks like someone is home. |
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