People work very hard to put a roof over their head, but it is still a sad fact that there are some people out there who want to take what you have earned and steal it. Fortunately, there are not many people out there like that, however, it is important to keep an eye on this and see what things you could do to your home to both deter someone from entering it but also catch them if they do. The police launch many initiatives to help support people and keep them safe and they could also be consulted on this if you wish to seek guidance or help. Below are 5 things that you could do in order to improve the security of your home.
Security System
One of the most effective ways to keep robbers away is to install a good, reliable security system. There are many different ranges of these for all sorts of costs and generally most are pretty easy to install and are off the shelf. With new build houses, a good security system will normally come as standard and part of the sale.
One of these security type systems will be movement sensors. This is more for inside the house where you would have sensors in specific rooms. If there is then movement in this room, the alarm will go off and alert the owner or neighbours. These sensors are pretty sensitive so if you have a pet or any other source of movement within the house then you may not wish to activate these zones, or you could end up having a false alarm.
Another type of security system could involve you having cameras (CCTV) installed at the house. This is always a good deterrent for any robber who if they even see these will potentially be enough to reconsider breaking into your home. If they are stupid enough to ignore this then there will be camera footage of this that is recorded, and you can use as evidence.
Some of the security systems will make automatic connection to the police if the alarm is triggered or you press a “panic button”. This then allows for not only the neighbours to be alerted through the alarm but for the police to be notified immediately and able to attend.
Boundary
If you live in a big house, the likelihood that a robber will look to gain access through the front door or windows is minimal. Generally, these people are smart enough to ensure that they do this in a secluded area where they are most unlikely to be seen. At the front of the house, there is normally more possibility that they could be seen with the neighbours potentially having a direct line of sight. As a result of this, it is best to try and secure your garden as best as you can so that the robber can not get to the rear of the house. Make this as difficult as you can for them is the key.
Large walls are generally a good thing – not only for your own privacy but to ensure that the robber has a far more difficult task or getting to the rear of the garden. If you have a walkway, then it is important that somehow this is contained and hard for someone to just walk right to the back of your garden. In this instance, it would be prudent to purchase metal garden gates that are secure enough. You can fix these so that they can only be opened from the rear or with some security device so that only the special few can get through the front way. With this in mind check more metal gates for your garden at armstrongsupplies.co.uk.
Lighting
Robbers do not like to be seen and usually prefer to work in the dark. To help with the deterrent, it is a good idea to make sure that vulnerable areas are lit up and anyone that walks in the zones can be seen. Even if a robber is wearing a face mask to try and conceal their identity, in a lit up zone they will draw attention and people will be able to act upon suspicious activity.
A popular purchase in this field is security lighting. These can be really simple lights that are fitted to the external of your home and will illuminate when there is movement underneath them. This then should immediately scare any intruder as they would be seen but it also acts as an alarm to people around to show that there has been movement and to check it out. One of the disadvantages with this type of lighting is that it is sensitive to any type of movement or heat and as a result, even if an animal such as a cat or fox was to walk through, the security light will go on. Usually, the light will stay on only for the time that someone is moving underneath it or for a defined period of time. The installation of these security lights differs where it may not be required to get an electrician involved – some of these are even solar powered!
Window Sensors
You can place sensors on windows or doors so that if these are tampered with, the alarm goes off. This will not normally act as a deterrent for any robber as generally they will not know they are there but when the seal is broken then the alarm will sound loudly. These sensors are generally easy to install and connect to the overall alarm system. These should not be relied upon in totality where it is recommended to ensure that the windows and doors are secure at all times.
Neighbourhood Watch
A lot of areas have teamed up as neighbours to see what they can do collectively to prevent a robbery and when it happens work together to catch the criminal and ensure prosecution. These initiatives are recognised in the local authority and people within the public sector generally support the meetings. This could be people within the police or even a local councillor.
To let criminals in the area, know that the area is part of the neighbourhood watch scheme, generally you will see stickers and posters which are visible to all. This could be in peoples home windows or you will sometimes see these erected on lampposts. In order to keep momentum on these sorts of initiatives, the team members will meet regularly, discuss any local robberies but also look to enhance any preventative measures (this could be things like enhanced street lighting).
Summary
If someone has broken into your home, this is extremely emotional. Not only for the reason that items could be stolen but that there has actually been someone who is not invited, step foot in your house. It could damage your own confidence and increase paranoia. That is why it is important to consider these sorts of initiatives or improvements to ensure that there are at least as much preventative measures you can put in place to stop the robbery happening in the first place.
Disclosure: This is a featured post.
