The festive season is around the corner and not only will you be shopping, but criminals will be filling their Christmas stockings with your hard-earned belongings.
Take note of these tips as they can protect your home and yourself.
Know your neighbours –Getting to know the people who live around you is invaluable in terms of security. The more you know about normal neighbourhood activities, the easier it is to spot something out of the ordinary.
Organise a WhatsApp group (or similar) for your block to make it easier to notify people if something odd is taking place.
Don’t advertise your belongings – If you’re planning on spending your Christmas bonus on a fancy new TV or tech toy, take the packaging straight to your nearest municipal dump.
Houses are targeted based on the perceived value of the goods they have inside. Leaving that flat-screen box on your pavement on bin day is like setting up a neon sign saying, ‘Pick Me!”
Invest in visual deterrents – Not all crime is planned – sometimes burglars see an easy target and just decide to take a chance. To make sure that target isn’t your house, set up some obvious, visible crime barriers to make opportunistic criminals think twice before breaking in.
Things like visible burglar bars and crow-bar-proof security gates are a great start. Obvious CCTV cameras – or realistic decoys – can be helpful as well. It’s also a good idea to limit visibility into the interior of your house where possible – if people can’t see that laptop at your window, they’re less likely to jump over your wall.
Protect your perimeter- In the event that someone does decide to enter your front yard or garden, early warning can be very valuable for both you and your security provider. To achieve this, add an outdoor layer to your security system, including garden beams and electric fencing, linked to your alarm.
Information compiled by: Tony Clarke, Managing Director of the Rawson Property Group
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