Sep 30 2009

Home Invasion: Make Your Home Safer

Many homes are broken into and burglarized on a daily basis. People steal without any concern or respect about others possessions. They consciously trash our homes and never look back. It seems this country’s morals are just figments of our minds.

Burglaries can happen in broad daylight or in the dark of the night. Most burglaries take place when no one is home, however, thieves don’t seem to care if anyone is home or not. Our vehicle was burglarized during daylight hours while parked in our own driveway!

But, what about alarms and people that might seen the thieves as they passed by? The sounds of alarms are commonplace today, and no one really pays any attention when they hear an alarm. Or, they do nothing because either they don’t want to become involved, or are fearful.

Sadly, once your home has been burglarized and precious items are stolen or broken, it’s too late to prevent the intrusion. But, there are ways to prevent home invasions for others. burglary

Ways To Protect Your Home

Don’t leave valuables laying around where they can be seen from a window. Thieves are interested in small items that they can grab on the run, such as jewelry, cash, or laptop computers.

1.Never allow strangers to enter your home; This includes women and children! Respond with a polite NO, and close the door.
2.Keep your doors and windows locked, even when you are inside your home.
3.Remove shrubbery from around doors and windows. Don’t provide hiding places for thieves.
4.Install outdoor lighting or motion detectors.
5.Invest in metal or solid core doors, and ensure your locks and hinges are in good working condition. There are, also, wide-view peep hold available to install in doors.
6.Make your home look the same whether you are gone or at home. Some ways to achieve this is to keep newspapers and mail picked up, keep the grass mowed, and use timers to turn on and shut off lights
7.Never hide a door key outside! Thieves know where to look.
8.Put a Beware of Dog sign in your yard.
9.Report suspicious people or vehicles in your neighborhood to the local police.

Take Inventory of Your Household Belongings
Be sure to do a household inventory before the need arises. Having a household inventory will help authorities recover stolen goods. You might believe that you will never be faced with losses from fire or theft, but it can happen to you.

The inventory should identify items, including the brand name, a brief description of each item (color, size, style, features, and dealer’s name/location). Always include the model and serial number, if applicable. Annotate the date the items were purchased to determine value. If the item was inherited or a gift, note the date it was acquired.

Pictures provide good documentation of household items. Another way to capture information about your items is to video your possessions. Close up images can be accomplished by video for small items, such as jewelry. Make sure you include clear and specific information about jewelry, electronics, and furniture.

Engraving your name or identifying information on household items,In addition to pictures and videos, can help authorities to identify and return your items, when they are found.

Check with your insurance provider to learn what information they would require to reach a settlement, if you have items stolen from your home.

What To Do After Your Home Has Been Burglarized
If you should come home and find your home has been burglarized, the danger has not passed. Possibly, the thief could still be inside your home, armed and potentially dangerous. The best policy is to turn around and get away from the premises, and call 911. Do not go inside your own home to use the phone, use your cell phone or go to a neighbor’s house and call 911 using their phone. burglary

Wait for the police to arrive! Once the police arrive and secure your property, they will ask for a list of missing items. This list of information will, also, be needed to file an insurance claim.

You’ll need to repair any damages and upgrade your locking or security system after the robbery. Sometimes, thieves will return and strike a house twice, depending on what they are after, or something that they were unable to take the first time. And, thieves know stolen items will be replaced, so it might be worthwhile to return.

The days of leaving homes and vehicles unlocked is gone. Robberies happen, no matter where you live. Locks and security systems are deterrents, but do not prevent someone from breaking into your home and stealing items you’ve worked hard to acquire.


 

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