By Jana Ward
You’ve worked hard all year and looked forward to your
summer vacation. It is finally here! But, you’re concerned because
you’ve heard the horror stories about people returning home to find
their house has been burglarized and their possessions gone. What do
you do? To help put your mind at rest so you can relax and enjoy
your vacation, it will be necessary to take some security
precautions on your property. Here are a few tips:
Secure your home.
Statistics show that in over 40 percent of residential
burglaries, the thieves just walked in through an unlocked door or
crawled through an unlocked window. Be sure you have locked and
bolted all your doors and windows before leaving
home.
Sliding glass doors need special devices to make them
secure. A wooden dowel in the track or a nail inserted through a
hole drilled in the sliding door frame and projecting into the fixed
frame will secure the door. Commercial locks are also available.
Double-hung windows can be locked by sliding a bolt or
nail through a hole drilled at a downward angle in each top corner
of the inside sash and part way through the outside sash. Window key
locks and grilles for basement or street-level windows are available
at a home supply store.
Garage doors are harder to secure, so it is important
to treat the inside door from the garage into the house like an
outside door. Lock and bolt the inside door to protect the house
from intrusion.
Explore the possibility of an alarm system. The
simplest systems available set up a small electrical circuit across
door locks and from window frames. When the current is interrupted,
the alarm sounds. There are alarm systems that alert police of
break-ins and include smoke and fire alarms and "help" buttons for
medical emergencies.
Make your home look like you are still
there.
With the security precautions above in place, it is as
important to make your home appear to be occupied:
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Leave something outside to give the appearance
you are still at home. Gardening tools, children’s toys or a
water hose can all give that impression. |
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Leave your draperies and blinds open.
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Put inside and outside lights, radios and
televisions on timers set according to your normal schedule.
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The message on
your telephone answering machine should be worded so callers
will not know you are away. You may want to call forward your
phone to another number while you are away. |
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Stop your mail and
newspaper deliveries. |
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Continue your lawn
grooming service.
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Make sure shrubs
and trees that cover windows and doors are trimmed so a
burglar cannot use them as cover to get into the house.
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Ask
for help watching your home.
Let
your trusted neighbors know you will be out of town so they can
watch the property and "fake" activity at your home. They can take
out the trash or move the car in the driveway periodically to give
the appearance you are home.
Before you leave, take a critical look at your home to
see that it is secure and gives no indication you will be gone for
an extended period. Taking care of these details should reduce your
chances of being burglarized.
Contact your local police or sheriff’s department for
more information about what you can do to protect your property.
If you need help upgrading windows, doors, locks, or
lighting, call the Greater San Antonio Builders Association at
696-3800 and ask for a free copy of the Remodelers Council Directory
and the brochure “How to Choose a
Remodeler.”
