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Make
Your Home as Safe as Possible Six Simple Steps that Can Make the Difference in Safety... Keep your doors locked. Keep the doors locked? But of course, you might say. However, in nearly half of all home burglaries, burglars gain access through unlocked doors! Get to know your neighbors. Watch out for suspicious activity in your neighborhood and keep your neighbors informed of when you'll be out of town. Join a Neighborhood Watch group if it's available. Start one if necessary. Keep trees and hedges trimmed. Overgrown bushes and trees provide burglars with great hiding places - keeping your landscaping trimmed increases your visibility and your safety. Replace burned-out outdoor lights immediately. Poor outdoor lighting means less visibility for you and better access for burglars. Consider upgrading outdoor light fixtures with devices that have built-in motion detectors which turn on the lights whenever anyone walks past. Don't be predictable. Once inside, thieves do just what you do when you come home: They head for the bedroom. That's where most of us keep our valuables. A jewelry box on top of the dresser is practically a homing signal. But, they also know your "clever" hiding places: dresser drawers, the freezer, under the matters, and the cookie jar! Avoid keeping large amounts of cash and jewelry in your house. Thieves are looking for cash and easy-to-carry things they can turn into cash quickly: jewelry, silver, cameras and other electronic devices. Keep small "luxury" items locked in a safe or well hidden. Large items don't scare crooks off either -- TVs, VCRs, computers, and stereos get their attention too. Invest in a simple table/desk bolt for stereos, computers and VCRs. If it's too difficult to steal most thieves, looking to get in and out quickly, won't bother. |
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