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Never
leave windows open or doors unlocked when you are away from
home. A professional burglar can be in and out of a home in
under 10 minutes. Open doors and windows are an open
invitation. In 80% of cases, burglars enter through an open
door or window.
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Don'
t leave a spare key outside. A key under the mat or planter or
on top of the door frame practically invites a burglar inside.
If you must hide a front door key, conceal it in the back yard
in an unlikely spot. The best thing to do with a spare
key is to leave it with your neighbour.
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Take
extra precautions to secure windows. A burglar cannot open a
double hinged window from the outside when a nail or pin is
inserted through the inside frame. Just drill a downward
slanting hole through both frames where the frames overlap.
Slip a nail or pin into the hole.
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In
order to discourage a burglar from lifting a sliding door out
of its track, put a dowel or a pole in the door track.
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Pay
careful attention to doors. Even though many Singaporean hate
to do it, doors should be locked, and not just when you are
out or asleep. Some crime prevention experts advise that doors
be locked when you are moving around inside your home. Not all
burglars work at night.
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When
adding locks to doors, be certain a burglar can reach it by
putting his arm through a broken window. Some locks are very
easy to unlock. Spring locks, with the keyhole in the
doorknob, are easy to pick. It's better to use a deadbolt lock
with a one-inch throw, a 5- or 6-pin tumbler cylinder and a
cylinder guard ring.
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Make
sure all doors, especially back and side doors, are
kick-proof. They should be constructed of solid wood or metal.
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Take
extra precautions if you are away all day. Most burglaries
occur during the day when occupants are not home. So, there
are some things you can do to discourage a burglar from
entering. Don t give him privacy with overgrown trees, bushes
and shrubs. Trim them back so any suspicious activity can be
seen from the street or sidewalk. Try to make it sound as if
someone is home. Turn on the TV, a stereo or a radio talk show
before you leave.
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Marking
high-risk items can be both a deterrent and a means of
recovery. Engrave your drivers license number on TVs, stereos,
cameras, etc. with an engraving tool often available through
the local police department.
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Vacations
take planning, especially when it comes to discouraging a
burglar. The best way to deal with home security in your
absence is to make it appear that you' re at home. Stop all
deliveries and newspapers, ask the Post Office to hold your
mail and have a neighbour pick up whatever winds up in your
mailbox or on your doorstep.
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Lights
make the difference at night. Turning on a few lights when you
go out is not a very meaningful deterrent to crime. No one
lives in a dimly lit house and burglars know this. The best
bet is to install an automatic timer that turns lights, radios
and TVs on and off in a lifelike pattern. Most people use
timers for vacations, but it is just as important to set them
during your regular nights out.
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Ask
a neighbour to come in and rearrange the drapes and window
shades and reschedule the automatic timer.
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Have
the grass cut or rubbish removed, an un-kept lawn is an open
invitation to a burglar.
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If
you happen to wake up or come home to find a burglar present,
don' t try to stop him from stealing and don' t panic. The
sooner he gets what he wants, the sooner he will leave.
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Get
a safe deposit box and use it, especially to store valuables
while you' re on vacation.
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Don'
t hide valuables in one location. Disperse them throughout the
house.
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Consider
getting a dog--one that loves to bark at strangers. The dog
doesn't have to be big to be effective. A noisy little dog can
be a big deterrent to crime.
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Consider
adding a burglar alarm system.
