Going Away This Summer? Protect Your Home!

If you’ve been reading the Compstat reports from the 61st Precinct that we’ve been posting, you’ve noticed a huge up-tick in burglaries in our area. And with vacation season in full swing, many of us are leaving our homes an open target for would-be intruders. Luckily, we found these great tips to use light, time and noise to protect your home for almost no cost at all. The tips were originally published in Community Magazine, a publication for the Sephardic community.

Lights: Don’t give burglars a place to hide.

• Make sure that exterior lights are mounted out of reach, so that burglars can’t easily unscrew bulbs.
• Consider buying motion-sensitive lights (which can be deactivated for Shabbat and holiday use).
• Use a variable light timer to activate lights inside your home.
• Trim trees and shrubs near doors and windows so burglars can’t hide in the shadows.

Time: Make it time-consuming for a burglar to break into your home.

• Installing deadbolt locks on all exterior doors.
• Installing double key locks in doors which contain glass to keep a burglar from being able to open the door simply by breaking the glass and reaching through. (Be sure to keep the key in designated place so that everyone in the house can get out in the event of a fire.)
• Placing additional locks on all windows and patio doors.

Noise: A burglar is less likely to enter a home if he knows it will make a commotion.

• Consider getting a dog. You don’t need a large attack dog; even a small dog creates a disturbance that burglars would prefer to avoid. (Remember to license and vaccinate it and consider having someone care for your dogs in your home while you’re away, instead of boarding them.)
• Install an alarm system that will alert neighbors of a burglar’s presence. Most systems can even summon local police directly and may qualify you for a discount on your homeowner’s insurance.