Safety Tips
The Discovery Channel has a show, that for years now I’ve always enjoyed watching, “It Takes a Thief.”
No, not the show starring Robert Wagner.
On this show, two former professional buglers show consenting homeowners who believe their homes are safe from invasion, how easy it is to break into their homes and steal everything that is dear to them.
The thieves, Jon Douglas Rainey and Matt Johnston, pull no punches during the home invasion. The owners home is trashed, just like it would be if it were a real life-altering invasion. And often, just the intrusion is enough to make the homeowners feel truly violated.
Taking measures to keep yourself, your family, and your home safe from harm and theft is a reality. While there are good people in the world, there are also those who aren’t so good. Break-ins are happening all the time.
We are into the winter months and it gets darker outside quicker than we’d like. An intruder can use the early darkness to surprise you or break into your home before you come home from work.
What are some of the steps you can take?
- Get to know your neighbors. Your neighbors can be the best lookout for danger and suspicious activity when you aren’t home. In turn, you can do the same for your neighbors.
- Own a dog. Having mans-best-friend around can be a real benefit to you and a deterrent to an intruder.
- Place dowel rods into the track of the sliding windows and door walls in your home, so they can’t be opened even if the frame/lock is compromised.
- Place a motion alarm on your exterior doors and sliding doors, so if the doors are separated an alarm will sound.
- Purchase and alarm system for your home that will alert the proper authorities.
- Pepper spray.
- Set some of your electronic equipment to come on at different hours of the day. Your television has a timer, so does your iPod. Purchase a timer for your lamps.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Don’t let the motion of putting the key in the lock send you into a false sense of security.
After the burglary, Jon and Matt offer clean-up, products and advice on how to keep your home safe. And, while it’s nice to watch this show to get some good tips, the truth is that if this happens to you, there probably won’t be a Jon and Matt to help you out afterward. It’s truly up to you to keep you, your family and your home safe.
The Discovery Channel website also has a very interesting Home Invasion Interactive and Quizzes and Tips on home security at:
http://investigation.discovery.com/crime-fighting/home-invasion/preventor.html
http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/ittakesathief/tips/tips.html
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