Securing Your Home for the Holidays

Did you score any Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals? As you bring home gifts, remember to keep them safe. Burglars prefer to shop at your house for their electronics and jewelry. A burglary happens every 23 seconds in the U.S. Your home, while you’re out shopping, partying or travelling, is a prime target.

How do you secure your home over the holidays?

• Install bright lighting outside
• Clear shrubbery to ensure good sightlines
• Lock your doors and windows
• Make your house look lived in: set timers, clear mail, shovel snow
• Don’t share your travel plans or daily itinerary on social media
• Don’t leave your gifts out for burglars to window shop

Most importantly, police departments and insurance companies agree you need a monitored alarm system. In fact, the drop in property crimes over the last decade has been largely due to advances in technology, lower costs and widespread adoption of home security systems. Thieves always choose empty homes, easy targets. If you can’t be there, then make sure someone is watching your house.

When choosing a security system,

• Walk through your home, noting all the entry points.
• Consider which features your lifestyle requires, such as medical alerts, fire protection, flood sensors, smart home technology, two-way audio etc.
• Set a budget
• Hire a professional security provider to monitor your system.

And remember, when it comes to security, the cheapest option will likely cost you more. Installing DVRs and audio alarms using a DIY kit is certainly less expensive than opting for a monitored security system with video alarm verification. However, burglars don’t scare easily and, like your neighbours, will ignore a wailing alarm. Once thieves leave your house, it is highly unlikely police will ever catch them or recover your property. On the other hand, police officers give verified crimes-in-progress reports highest priority and respond much quicker to them.

See also Security Providers: why the cheapest will likely cost you more (for businesses).

Contact us today for a free home security evaluation, or check out our security package calculator.

Sources and more tips:

Jaramillo, Cassandra. It’s Burglary Season in North Texas: Six ways for you to thwart the bad guys. The Dallas Morning News (November 30, 2018)

Moreau, Greg. Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2018. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (July 22, 2019).

Morgan, Rachel E. and Oudekerk, Barbara A. Criminal victimization, 2018. U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Supan, Joe. Holiday Home Safety Tips. Reviews.com (October 28, 2019)

Residential Burglaries Prevention Tips. Dallas Police Department.

Note: This blog discusses general safety and security topics. It is not intended to provide comprehensive advice or guidance. In all matters of personal safety and security, We encourage readers to research topics in depth and consult a security professional about specific concerns.