|
- Give your home that "lived-in" look while you're away. Before
leaving on a trip, leave the keys with trusted neighbours who
can turn your lights and radio on and off, open and close your
curtains, water your plants, bring in circulars, mow your lawn
or shovel the snow, move your car or park theirs in your driveway.
- A timer is inexpensive and effective, especially the multiple-program
type. It gives your home that "lived-in" look that thwarts scouters
and robbers: there's nothing quite as effective as a light or
radio that suddenly goes on.
- A good lock is a good start. You can purchase a double barrel
lock from any good locksmith; once locked, it can't be opened
without a key, not even from the inside. This makes it harder
to get into your home, or for that matter, to leave with your
property.
- Secure your doors. The ideal wooden door has a solid core.
Door frames, on each side, should be solid at the level of the
locks. If yours is a hollow-core wooden door, you should seriously
consider replacing it: upgrading such a door requires considerable
work and the results are not guaranteed. The best of locks will
be useless on a door which can easily be kicked in.
- Sliding glass doors are vulnerable. Drill a blind hole into
the top and bottom of the frame so you can insert a nail or
peg. Get into the habit of putting in place the nails and a
piece of wood every time you leave.
- Patio doors can easily be lifted and removed. Install a jimmy
plate or a screw in the top rack.
- On basement windows, if you install grillwork, don't forget
you might need to make an emergency exit, in the event of a
fire for instance. Make sure the work is done from the inside
with easy-to-remove pegs. You might also consider replacing
the glass panes with sheets of unbreakable clear plastic or
acrylic.
- Your jewellery is a favourite target of burglars: easy to
carry, often unidentifiable, it can easily be resold. Like most
people, you probably store yours in a jewellery box or one of
your dresser drawers. It's a good idea to leave enough costume
jewellery in these places to satisfy the thieves that they have
found what they're looking for. Your good jewellery, on the
other hand, can be hidden in an out-of-the-way place. A little
imagination will help you determine a place both unlikely yet
within easy reach.
|
|
