Tis the season when folks bring home the hottest electronics and gifts and then head out of town on vacation. Home burglaries spike over the holidays, so take a few extra precautions to keep your home and valuables safe.
Start by making your property unattractive to burglars. Thieves want to get in and out quickly, they don’t want to be seen, and don’t want trouble in the form of barking dogs, tricky entrances and noisy alarms.
The easiest way for an intruder to gain entry is through a door or open window. Fortify doors by using a deadbolt in addition to a door knob. Burglars frequently gain entry via a flimsy garage access door, so reinforce hinges, install a dead bolt, and secure the frame.
Disable the garage door opener and lock it when on vacation. Put a long dowel or bar into the track of any sliding door or install a foot lock that clicks a bolt into the track.
Burglars are known to drive around neighborhoods on trash day after big gift holidays to check empty boxes on the curb that reveal what wonderful new toys you have. Don’t put the boxes for your new laptop or big screen TV out front and center.
Break down boxes and conceal them in the recycling or trash bin. Keep up landscape maintenance and put a vacation hold on newspapers and mail. Ask a neighbor to remove unwanted flyers and clutter from piling up on the front porch.
Scare burglars away with noise and light. Install motion sensors on outdoor lights. If you have a home security system let thieves know by displaying the sign prominently in the yard or near the front door.
Install a Ring video doorbell to talk to visitors at the door, and deter “porch pirates” who are on the prowl for holiday package deliveries. Display a “Beware of Dog” sign whether you have one or not.
Timers on interior lights can make it appear someone is always home. Trick potential intruders with tech devices like FakeTV, a small LED gismo that simulates the light output of television programming, and has a built in light sensor and timer that turns on at dusk and off at bedtime.
Install one of the new Smart Home systems that connect to an app on your phone and allow you to talk to your lights from afar.
Adriana Donofrio deasypennerpodley Glendora (626) 926-9700 adonofrio@dppre.com
