Is your home a target for criminals?
Are your trees and shrubs trimmed so it’s hard for burglars to hide? – Yes/No
Do you have a dog? – Yes/No
Do you have locks and deadbolts or deadlocks fitted? – Yes/No
Do you have security screens on your doors and windows? – Yes/No
Does your door have a peep-hole or a video intercom? – Yes/No
Do your windows have key-locks or security devices? – Yes/No
Does your house have an automatic light timer or sensor lights? – Yes/No
Are the entrances to your home well lit? – Yes/No
Is the garage or shed kept locked? – Yes/No
Are your tools and ladders stored away securely? – Yes/No
Is the meter box locked? – Yes/No
Do you keep gates closed and locked? – Yes/No
Do you have a fence to prevent intruders from getting to the back of your house away from street view? – Yes/No
Is your home fitted with security cameras? – Yes/No
Is your home fitted with an alarm system? – Yes/No
Do you have window stickers letting burglars know you have a security cameras or an alarm system? – Yes/No
Is there a phone extension in the bedroom with emergency numbers handy? – Yes/No
Do you keep money and valuables out of view from outside the house? – Yes/No
Are your contents and valuables engraved or marked for easy identification? – Yes/No
Have your recorded the serial numbers? – Yes/No
If your answer is “yes” to all or most of the above questions, well done! This means that you are vigilant about home security and you have dramatically reduced your chances of being a victim of burglary. We suggest you consider the questions that you have answered “no” to and make an assessment on how much more effective (if any) your overall protection would be by rectifying those aspects as well.
If your answer is “no” to many of the above questions your home and possessions are a soft target for thieves. The good news is that if you start acting now on each of the security weaknesses that this list has identified you can be out of the soft target category in no time and you will be able to enjoy considerably greater peace of mind.