Home Security during the Holidays
With the holidays just around the corner, people are making all kinds of plans. Some might be making all of the arrangements for hosting a party or dinner; others are getting ready for a much needed vacation, and still more are heading to their extended family’s homes for a long, enjoyable visit. Unfortunately, burglars and criminals also look at the holidays as a time to make big plans as well. In the weeks leading up to the busy holiday season they are usually “scoping” out prospective targets and picking the homes they will attempt to break into.
How can a homeowner ensure that such devious characters won’t succeed? There are many important efforts that will stop a criminal in their tracks, and it all begins with some planning and a tiny bit of effort. A very simple deterrent is your security system warning sign, such as those provided to customers of ADT Home Security. Burglars often avoid homes with security systems in place, opting instead for the easier target of another home in the neighborhood that isn’t monitored by a home security company.
One of the most common recommendations made by home security companies and law enforcement officials during the traditional gift-giving season is for homeowners to place their Christmas tree and holiday packages far away from doors and windows. Leaving an enormously tempting pile of gifts near an easily broken window often results in a very unhappy ending to the holiday season.
Additionally, homeowners who will be away for the holidays should work as hard as possible to make this fact difficult to distinguish from the outside of their homes. This means putting household lights, televisions and stereos on timer switches, turning the volume on the answering machine down to a very low level, asking a neighbor to retrieve any packages, mail or newspapers that have been delivered, and to make sure that exterior lights come on at least once or twice during each evening. Many homeowners invest in randomly timed switches that give an even more convincing appearance to the home, and these units will randomly turn things on and off during the day and early evening, giving the home a distinctly more “natural” amount of activity.
One major problem during the holidays is directly related to the beautiful exterior light displays that many people use. Unfortunately, not all houses have an exterior electrical outlet, and many people frequently run cords through basement windows or even into back entry areas. This leaves burglars with a direct route into the home. The best method of eliminating such a threat is to have proper outlets installed, which is a far safer method of adding some sparkle to the neighborhood without risking the safety of the home.
In addition to the days leading up to the holidays, the days following the celebration are also a time to be aware of home security. One of the biggest mistakes made by millions of homeowners is the breaking down and disposing of larger cardboard boxes that contained “big ticket” gifts like televisions, DVD players, computers, etc. These serve as neon lights to would-be burglars, indicating the kind of merchandise contained in the home, and are best brought out to the curb on the morning that the garbage company picks up trash.
The holiday season is supposed to be time or pleasure and fun, but this doesn’t mean that a homeowner should let their guard down. Committing to a few precautionary actions in home security, will help to avoid many of the common mistakes that can lead to a home burglary.
To ensure a safer and more relaxing holiday season, consider helping protect your home and family with a security system such as those offered by ADT Home Security.
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