It’s not like I was spying on my neighbors when I noticed that they had recently painted their dining room a particularly beautiful color.
With our local Bais Yaakov high school concert coming up, I had been out at night far more often than usual driving carpool and because the dining room lights were on as I passed by after dark, it was hard not to notice the lovely paint job. Enjoying the new blue walls several days in a row reminded me that we hadn’t gotten together with these neighbors in far too long and inspired me to email an invite for a Shabbos meal. The reply came just a few hours later, expressing regrets and explaining that they were currently out of town. Ah…I got it: the lights had been set on timers, a simple and effective technique to keep burglars away.
While many of us contemplate safety measures when we go on vacation, home security is something to think about 365 days a year, making sure that your castle is as safe as possible at all times. Home robberies take place every 15 seconds in the United States, according to Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, with the home robber walking away with approximately $1,600 in loot. Almost two thirds of all burglaries are residential, with the vast majority of those taking place during the day when homes are unoccupied, and, in close to a third of all burglaries, entry was gained without using any force, typically through an unsecured door or window.
It goes without saying that your doors and windows should be kept locked, not just in your house but in your vehicles as well. Having grown up in New York City but now a happy dweller of the ‘burbs, I am amazed by the many people who keep their front door unlocked all day or leave valuables sitting in full view in their car. I can’t tell you that locking your doors will guarantee that burglars will never enter your domain, but leaving your doors unlocked is like putting out a welcome mat bearing the words, “Welcome thieves. Please come take my stuff!” Another no brainer? If you have a burglar alarm, make sure you set it. What is the point of having it if you aren’t going to use it?
The best way to secure your doors is to invest in metal doors at all entry points and to install quality deadbolt locks with a throw bolt that is at least one inch long. Burglars tend to favor garage and back doors so make sure that both of these traditional weak spots are just as solidly protected as your front entry. Incorporate an extra level of security on sliding glass doors so that burglars who aren’t shy about breaking glass to access your lock will still find entry to your home no simple task. Try a foot-activated lock that screws firmly into your floor or a “Charley Bar,” a full width horizontal metal rod that attaches to the door frame, although any piece of wood, even an old broomstick cut to size, will prevent your door from being moved along its track even if the door is unlocked.
Like those little fuzzy creatures in the 1984 movie “Gremlins,” would-be robbers hate bright lights, which allow passers-by to view their activities. Make sure your home has proper exterior lighting on all four sides. Whenever possible, place lights high enough to prevent thieves from just unscrewing the bulbs, allowing them to go about their crime spree unnoticed, and keep an eye on those lights, replacing any that have burned out, rendering them absolutely useless. Keep your hedges and trees trimmed so that your foliage doesn’t offer thieves a place to hide and close window treatments when you aren’t home to deny burglars the opportunity to check out your stuff, enabling them to formulate a solid game plan to rob your house.
While I won’t tell you to assume that anyone who ever enters your house is planning on coming back later to steal your worldly possessions, it never hurts to be extra cautious whenever anyone you don’t know enters your home. From delivery men to repairmen to painters, keep your valuables well-hidden and don’t leave any unknown visitors alone in your house. Take the time to shadow them as they do whatever it is they are hired to do and make sure they aren’t leaving any doors or windows unlocked to allow them or an accomplice easy access later.
In-home safes are great ways for securing valuables, but the fact that you have a locked safe in your possession is like a giant blinking neon sign that screams “Valuables Here!” If you have a portable model, make sure it is bolted securely to the floor or the wall, because otherwise any thief worth his salt will just take it with him, allowing him the luxury of figuring out how to get it open in the comfort of his home.
What do your house keys and your cell phone have in common? Both can give a thief access to your valuables, albeit in different ways. It is obvious that anyone who has your keys can just waltz in through your front door, but your cell phone can be a treasure trove of information if it falls into unsuspecting hands. For starters, if anyone gains possession of your smart phone, he can instantly get into your emails and by going into your banking and other apps, request password changes, which will come directly to him, effectively locking you out of every account that can be accessed from your phone, creating a virtual nightmare that is all too real. Also, if you identify people in your contacts by their relationship, like “Mom,” or “Hubby,” a thief who has your phone can impersonate you and text your loved ones for sensitive information like bank PIN numbers and credit card verification codes, so it’s probably a good idea to call anyone who ever asks you for information of this type so that you can make sure that the request is legitimate.
Your car key remote can be a staunch ally when it comes to protecting your stuff, because quite probably the only thing thieves hate more than lights (and dogs with sharp teeth who dislike intruders) is loud noise. Keep your keys in hand when you are walking to your car in a parking lot and if someone nearby seems suspicious, set off your car alarm, which will get heads turning in your direction, a great way to scare off a potential attacker. Similarly, if you keep your car in your driveway, put your keys next to your bed when you go to sleep so that if you wake up at night and hear an intruder you can set off the alarm. Chances are excellent that the flashing lights on your vehicle and the honking horn that just won’t quit will be a very strong incentive for any would-be thieves to leave the area ASAP.
Last but not least, be a good neighbor. Keep an eye out on your neighbors’ property and have them to do the same for yours and if you see anything suspicious, don’t hesitate to call the police. And if you, like me, happen to notice that your neighbors have repainted? Be sure to tell them how much you like the new look. I’m sure they will be happy to hear it.