Home Security

A lot of news of late, has been focused on Homeland Security.  Fourth of 
July celebrations were dotted with extra enforcement officers and personal 
bag checks.  No one seems to mind the added inconvenient.  We want to feel 
safe when we are out in the public.

What about your home?  When you leave your home just for a few minutes, do 
you leave the door unlocked?  How about your garage door?  Do you leave it 
open?  Unlocked patio doors, laundry room doors are just a few ways that 
thieves can gain access to our homes.

The recommendations for vacationers is to make the home look like someone 
is at home.  Place lights on timers, that you would normally have on 
certain times of the day.  Don't forget the radio and T.V. set.  Putting 
those on timers can deter thieves if they think that someone is in the 
home.  Mail that spills out of the mailbox, and piles of newspapers on the 
lawn are other ways that thieves spot vacationers.  Get to know your 
neighbors, tell them that you are leaving, and that you have timers on 
certain lights.  Ask if they could gather your mail or newspapers for you. 
If you cannot ask a neighbor to collect your mail, have the post man hold 
your mail at the post office until you return.  Cancel the newspaper for 
the time you are away. Hire someone to mow your lawn while you are gone.

Recently my daughter returned home from running a small errand.  She had 
been burglarized. He entered my daughters home and stole many items. He was a very neat 
thief. They were not aware of the robbery for two days. It was when Walmart 
called my daughter to confirm that she had written a sizable business check 
that they were clued in that the house and files had been violated. Bank 
accounts were closed, credit card cancelled and checking the house 
carefully for items that could be missing.  The neighbors were elderly and 
had seen noting.  Police were able to recover some of the stolen items and 
the suspect has been apprehended.  My daughter was fortunate.

We tend to think of our mailboxes as secure and trust that no one will 
bother items placed in them.  Recently a man was arrested in my neighborhood for stealing mail from the 
mailboxes.  It seems that he would steal a bill with a payment check.  That 
was his access to the persons banking account number.  He then would return 
and take boxes of checks deliver to the house to obtain deposit slips and 
checks.  He could write deposits and get money back with those slips in his 
possession.

These recent events, have caused me to be more cautious about my mail.  I 
no longer mail bills from my home.  I find a mail box or drive to the post 
office.  We lock the doors when we are home. Keeping our home 
secure  warrants some thought and planning, but can be achieved with some 
extra effort. Today, I plan to buy a couple of timers for the lights.

Happy Vacation and may your home be safe and secure.