Locking up
submitted by John Dorricott, Price’s Lock and Safe
Tips for preventing home theft
Install a 180 door viewer (door peep hole) and you have the ability to see who is at your door before opening it. It’s not a good idea to rely on a safety chain as the moment you open the door you provide access to your home.
Install a good quality deadbolt. Many varieties are available, including some locks that have digital, finger print and card access.
A digital lock has a keypad that you can program and reset the combination at your convenience. This is really handy if you have drop in guests or caregivers, as you can give them their own code and delete it when they leave.
You can also purchase a key box with a digital pad that is mounted outside you home, this way you can give your neighbour or caregiver access to your key.
There are other locks that will allow you to change the combination of your lock at your home while you are on vacation by means of the internet. A side benefit of this type of lock is that you can also adjust your thermostat, turn lights on and off and view your home while you are not there.
Always lock your front and back doors when you are in the house. A smart theif will spot you out in the back garden and try the front door. It only takes a moment for your purse, wallet or jewellery to be gone.
Purchase an in-home safe: safes are no longer found only in banks or businesses. More and more people are buying a small safe for their home, this way they can store their valuables and i.d. and still have immediate access to them if necessary. Even a small safe secured or bolted down will usually deter the average thief.
Finally consider the questions “Who has keys to my home?” and “Have we ever had our locks rekeyed?” These are good questions to ask yourself. If you can’t answer these simple questions then it’s time to do something about it.
2010
Burglar Courtesy Will Cost You!
by Frank Fourchalk
Home Security Consultant, Syndicated Columnist
If you don’t, I hope your insurance is paid up because it might just cost you and the other owners a deductible!
Relying on burglar courtesy is one of the easiest ways for an intruder to enter a building. If you’re one of those people who can’t allow a door to close in a strangers face, you better be ready to ask a few questions.
Questions like, “Who are you? or Who are you here to see?” If you’re not prepared to screen the person you’re letting into the building, then don’t let them in! This not only applies to residents but to legitimate visitors as well.
Being a do-gooder defeats the purpose of locks and puts the building at risk of a possible break-in. Remember that not all burglars wear a mask and black gloves. In most cases, they look like average people and can be well dressed.
Burglars have an uncanny way of slithering through the front door with an unsuspecting owner or visitor. You have a moral obligation to make sure that these sneaky thieves do not enter under any circumstances without first contacting the person they are there to see.
I’m sure that “aiding in a burglary”, is not something you want on your resume. Although unknowingly that’s exactly what you may be doing when you allow an unidentified person into the building.
Locks are meant to keep the “Bad Guys” out, so don’t reverse the process by letting courteousness overtake you and create another statistic. The most effective security must incorporate everybody’s effort. Like the domino effect, if one domino isn’t cooperating, it spoils it for the rest.
Post Signs – ALL VISITORS MUST BE SCREENED
One way to help eliminate this serious problem is to post signs at the building’s front door area. These signs should warn apartment owners and their guests not to let anybody into the building under any circumstances. All visitors and guests must ring the person they came to see on the enterphone panel. It is then up to the owner to screen their visitor before buzzing them into the building.
Beware of the
- Lurking Intruder. This burglar often appears out of thin air just when you are about to enter the building, knowing full well that most people will let him or her in with no questions asked. Capitalizing on the weak is a common trait of these low life thieves. If you experience this type of intruder, notify as many people in the building as possible to check out the situation.
- The Helping Hand. This type of crook, capitalizes on being a nice guy. This courteous person usually appears at the door just as you are struggling with an armful of parcels or groceries. He or she is quick to hold the door open for you, gaining your confidence, respect and of course free entry into the building.
- The Fake Look Up. This burglar pretends to look somebody’s name up on the enterphone just as you enter through the front door. Once the door is open, the thief quickly grabs it and makes his or her entrance.
- Enterphone Smooth Talker. This person rings somebody randomly on the enterphone and persuades them to buzz the door open. This burglar wears many hats, he might be a building repair man, the postman, the courier, the pizza man, or even the police.A good rule of thumb is when in doubt who’s at the front door,always come down and check.