.....It will not hurt to take a few precautionary measures to keep your home and possessions safe.While the truth is that we can never really be completely safe from break ins, as these things do happen, better safe than sorry.
Lock it up
The best way to keep thieves away is to eliminate opportunity. Lock your windows and doors securely. If need be, get grills put on your windows and extra dead bolts on your doors to make it that much tougher for thieves to break in. It is worth investing in a quality padlock that is nearly break in proof.
Less is more
Do not keep your valuables in plain display. If there are bicycles or other valuable electronics in sight, make sure they are securely locked up. Once thieves spot these, they are inclined to wonder what other valuables you have in your home and break in to find out.
Know your neighbors.
Getting to know the people you live around is one of the safest measures you can take. Close knit neighborhoods generally report fewer break ins as people know each other, they will keep a casual eye on each other’s property and a stranger will more likely stick out. If they have a different schedule to your own, they will keep an eye out when you are away. Get to know your neighbors and get their contact information just for good measure.
Light it up
Talk to your neighborhood about getting security lights installed in darker places where there are crime hot spots. Burglars often canvass the places they will hit next and are less likely to do so in a place that is well lit. Here, the chances of getting away undetected are very low.
Spare keys
While it is convenient to leave a spare key under the mat or somewhere near the door, this may not be the safest thing to do. Someone may be watching as you do all this and sneak in as soon as you leave the house.
In the most unfortunate circumstance that a break in does occur, do not try to be the hero and fight back – cooperate, let them take it what they want and leave. Your possessions are replaceable, but you only have one life. Stay safe.
