Two weeks ago, we looked at some of the worst advice we’d ever heard about commercial security. But it’s not just businesses that are given bad advice; home security is a topic where even more bad advice can be found. Here are some tips that you won’t want to follow–especially now that summer is here, and thieves are looking for homes of people on vacation.
1. “You don’t really need to keep your doors and windows locked during the day, as long as you’re at home.”
A good lock is a good defense against a thief, but it only works if it’s locked. While it’s true that many thieves are active at night, a majority of home burglaries actually take place during the day. After all, many people are away from the house during parts of the day, whether or not they work outside the home. Daylight does not protect you from burglars, and, no matter how good your locks and other security features are, an unlocked or open door or window is an invitation to enter your home. Keeping your door locked is always a good idea.
2. “If you live in a good neighborhood, you don’t need to take as many precautions.”
We all like to feel that we’re safe in our homes, and living in a “good” neighborhood often makes people feel even safer than an average or “bad” neighborhood. The problem is, people in good neighborhoods tend to have good stuff, and they don’t tend to guard it as well. Because of this, burglars often scope out more upscale neighborhoods, looking for houses that are easy to break into. If you were a burglar, would you rather deal with people who have more high-end possessions and think they’re not at risk, or people who have less and are more cautious? The answer is really pretty easy. So, be sure to protect your house, especially if you live in a higher end neighborhood.
3. “That old lock or door will work just fine.”
Original doors with vintage locks can look great on an older house, but they look even better to a burglar. Older locks weren’t always designed as well as newer ones, and even well-designed locks and doors wear down over time. Fortunately, a number of high quality doors and locks are available in styles that will complement your house, no matter its age or uniqueness. Upgrading doors and locks can be an enormous help in protecting your house from burglars; most burglars won’t spend very much time trying to get in through a door; if a lock or door gives easily, they’re in, but if it’s difficult, they’ll give up on coming in that way. A few extra tips: if you have windows near your door, and your local fire code allows it, you may want to invest in double-sided deadbolts, which require a key to unlock from the inside as well as the outside (if these are not allowed in your jurisdiction, window bars can be a useful alternative). Also, be sure to upgrade the back doors and locks, too, as most burglars enter from the more concealed rear doors.
4. “You don’t really need to keep your valuables in a safe.”
There are places other than a safe that you can hide your valuables, certainly (the kitchen, for example, is a much better place to store valuables than the bedroom). However, when it comes to security from both burglars and fires. A burglar won’t try to open a safe–most burglaries are very quick, as burglars don’t really want to spend any more time in a vulnerable situation than they need to. Moreover, a good bulky safe is incredibly difficult to carry away undetected (or at all, if it’s heavy enough). And if your safe is fire rated, your most prized possessions will not only be protected from theft, but fire too.
5. “Hide a spare key on your property in case you accidentally lock yourself out of the house.”
Don’t ever do this. It’s really a profoundly bad idea. If you currently hide a key somewhere on your property, where do you keep it? Under the doormat? Beneath a flower pot? In a fake rock? Atop the doorframe? These are the first places a burglar will look. If you’ve hidden it somewhere else, you’re still far from safe. A thief could observe you hiding or retrieving your spare key, and then they’d know exactly where it is. Remember, a sturdy lock is only a good defense if it’s kept locked, and giving a thief access to a key ensures that it won’t stay locked for long. Give spare keys to trusted friends or neighbors, or just don’t keep spares at all. After all, it’s much cheaper to call a locksmith than it is to recover from a burglary.
