Home security weaknesses you may be ignoring

As a homeowner you may be surprised to learn that your habits are improving burglars’ chances of breaking in successfully. Naturally, if you change your habits you will deprive crooks of having an advantage over you. All you need to do is get rid of these vulnerabilities in security to make your home a more difficult target.

  v  Predictable Schedule
Burglars look for people who have regular schedules, they like to find a home that is usually left open for hours every day at the same time. Once thieves have seen that they will have a lot of time to search for valuables, they’ll make their move! The best thing you can do is try to change your schedule every now and then and take different routes to and from your house. Majority of us have to work the same hours every day, but it is possible to make small changes to your other activities that will throw off any potential burglars.

  v  Concealment
Sometimes you might be helping burglars approach your house without even knowing it. You may do this by planting tight clusters of bushes or not having lights around your doorways, burglars can then be easily concealed. Always be sure to trim any bushes and consider even removing any that are big enough to be used as hiding places. Your doorways should also always be lit up well so that you can see burglars if they try to break in.

  v  Accidental Invitations
Thieves are very talented at looking for signs that a home has valuables inside, but homeowners are sometimes unaware. One thing that can be an invitation is when you dispose of packaging from expensive items outside, crooks are clever enough to look at your garbage on trash day and see if there are any large electronic boxes. Always make sure to cut up your packaging and dispose of it more discreetly.

You should always examine your home and your habits for things that enable a burglar to pull off a successful break-in. The key is to eliminate the opportunities and use the best technology available from a reliable security company.

For home security services at a high standard contact SIS - Security & Investigation Services. They can offer a wide variety of services.

Written By: Christine Romans

Top items stolen during a home burglary

Every year burglaries amount to billions of Rands of damage and loss of belongings, you need to be able to protect yourself against crime not only to protect your money and property but also to get rid of stress and anxiety.

On average a home burglary will last about 10 minutes, but burglars are quick so they can do a lot in a short amount of time. Knowing what the burglars are after is the first step to preventing a break-in, here are the top 5 items stolen during a home burglary.

      1.  Money
It’s probably not a surprise that the first thing a burglar would steal is money, it can be used immediately and it’s hard to trace. If you keep a lot of money at home and you want to prevent it being stolen hide it in a strong, secure safe or somewhere a burglar would never look.

      2.   Electronics & Gadgets
Most of us often leave our smart phones, tablets, laptops and other easily stolen electronics lying around the house, this makes them an easy target for burglars. if you tend to leave your stuff lying around, stop and make it a habit to put them inside a drawer or cupboard when you leave the house.
 

      3.  Jewelry
Jewelry and gold is the easiest thing to pawn off for cash, a burglar will heads straight to your bedrooms and search through drawers to find valuable, hidden pieces. If you have a lot of expensive jewelry in your home consider hiding it away or keeping it in a safe.
 

      4.  Firearms
Most burglars love stealing firearms and if they have a tendency for violence, a burglar could easily use your weapon when committing a crime! For your safety, always keep your weapon (unloaded) in a gun safe or a lock box; if it ever goes missing make sure to contact the police immediately.

      5.  Drugs
Whether prescription or illegal, burglars are known to seek out drugs, if they find some drugs worth stealing they will sell, trade or use them themselves. The bathroom medicine cabinet is the first place an intruder will look for drugs so hide them away in an unusual place, on the other hand burglars may target houses of other criminals because they know they store illegal drugs in their home.

When you try to make your home safer for yourself and your family make sure to remember these items and try keeping them as hidden as possible. In addition to taking basic safety precautions you should think about getting a home security plan with a professional security company like SIS – Security Investigation Services, they make it their job to protect you, your family and your home.

      Written By: Christine Romans