Protect Your Home This Holiday Season

Burglars are opportunists looking for a score. They case a neighborhood looking for homes that look unoccupied, mailboxes stuffed, news papers piled up, lights off, shades up with a Christmas tree in the window inside with lots of gifts under the tree.

They prefer homes with no signage outside says “This House Is Alarmed” or “Protected By ADT”. Once they determine a valuable target they begin jiggling doorknobs to see which homes aren’t locked.

It’s not uncommon for burglars to walk around the house in broad daylight looking like a contractor, holding a clipboard and in some kind of a uniform. Their goal is to look like they belong there.

The chances of your home getting burglarized are reduced significantly when you put layers of protection in place.

Protect yourself:

Install a home security system and keep it on during the day when you are home or away and especially at night while you are sleeping.

Lock your doors and install good door locks that can’t be easily “bumped”. This generally means spending a little more money and getting advice from a locksmith.

Keep shades down so the bad guy can’t see what you have going on inside.

Put your light on timers to give your home that lived in look.

If you have a garage, pull in the garage when unloading gifts and large purchases

If you travel make sure to have someone collect mail, newspapers and even shovel while you are gone.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist toHome Security Source discussing Home Invasions on Montel Williams. Disclosures