In recent years, people have beefed up their residential security due to any number of concerns. Some of them simply want to have a better rest at night and peace of mind where their security is concerned. In this regard, there are several things a homeowner can opt for to ward off security-related threats.
Although the homeowner can take a number of measures to better protect his home, others are best left to the professionals. But whichever security beefing up step is taken, no single homeowner want to become the next target in a sudden increase in home burglaries or invasions by criminal elements. Now, let’s have a look at a good neighborhood security checklist that homeowners should follow to better protect their homes against break-ins and burglaries.
Work closely with an expert security consultant to assess your security needs
In any given area, there are a number of local security companies that offer consultant services to the property owners. Use these experts to assess your residential neighborhood security requirements. These professionals are in a better position to understand the kinds of threats that plague neighborhoods such as yours. As such, they can easily identify security measures weak points and work closely with homeowners to strengthen their property’s defense.
Security guard patrol
Having professional onsite security guard patrol at your premises can do a lot when it comes to preventing you from becoming a robbery statistic. The presence of security guards is often sufficient to deter attempted criminal activities in given area. As result, the home owner rest easier knowing that his property is well guarded by professionals at all times and that can respond within a moment’s notice to quickly resolve security threats.
Resurrect a neighborhood watch program
Where neighbors are watching out for one another, it becomes much harder for criminal elements to penetrate the community. In this kind of a scenario, neighbors are always on the lookout for unusual activities around the neighborhood. A good neighborhood watch program identifies the areas that could look welcoming to criminal elements and work with local authorities to install security lights for enhanced visibility.
Keep the home’s exteriors well lit at night
Security experts around the country recommend having a number of 40-watt lights strategically placed around the exteriors of a home to properly light up the dark areas and entranceways. A well-lit home’s exterior helps the local security patrol or police to better locate your home in event of an emergency. Criminal elements are less drawn to well-lit environments as their presence is easily given away. They prefer dark and poorly lit spots around the home so as to maximally take advantage of the situation.
Have clearly display addresses
In event that the onsite security patrol or police have to be called, a homeowner would want them to easily and fast find his home. Having clearer displayed addressees is the best for this to happen. So be sure to clearly post your address in a visible and well-lit area on the outside of your home. This way, the police or onsite security patrol are able to quickly distinguish your home from the rest from a street level during the day or night.
Strong and high quality exterior doors
Any door that allows access from the outside should be made of strong and high quality materials. Besides, it should also possess a quality deadbolt lock in addition to a good doorknob key lock. When away from home or at night, this kind of a door should be kept closed and locked at all times. Also ensure that your exterior doors do not possess any glass opening or window within 40” of the door locks. Remember that if a door looks too difficult to break into, the majority of burglars will leave in search of an easier target.
An intercom device or peephole
A good security expert will tell you it is never a good idea to answer the door without knowing who is on the other side. If your door doesn’t have a peephole or an intercom device, then it is time you installed some type or another. A peephole will allow for a wide-angle view outside while an intercom will permit you to converse with the person on the other side without necessarily opening the door. Note that once you open your door for a stranger, anything is possible in these days of serious security threats.
Door hinges and frames
Apart from door having the proper locks, the door frames need to be solid and snug. Apart from this the hinges also need to be the sturdy varieties for added security. The doors need to be correctly installed so that hinges are not accessible from the outside of the home.
Closed garage doors
Make sure that the garage doors are properly closed before going away during the day or after driving back from errands. While on a vacation, have onsite security to patrol your property for added protection.
While this is just a basic home security checklist, it can go a long way in helping to develop a safer place for you, your assets and loved ones. A little extra awareness from you coupled with the help of a good security patrol service can adequately prevent criminal activities from happening around your property or even your neighborhood.
