by True Blue

Created on: April 07, 2009   Last Updated: April 08, 2009

Security in the Home.

"Lock it or lose it."

Complete lock-down of your home can be done as cheaply or as expensively as you wish, and there are numerous variables that require consideration depending on the value of your home, its contents, and most importantly the people who reside there.

Securing your home is, in today's society, a necessity whether you live in an apartment on the 52nd floor, a Bungalow in the suburbs, or a farm in the country.

Due to the extreme hardships of the poverty stricken and the drug riddled, the area in which you live in speaks volumes as to how diligent the job of securing your home should be, but that should only be the yard stick and not a definite rule.

To begin with a simple home security measure, changing the locks. Preferably the day before you move in and done by yourself is safer than getting a locksmith to do it simply because you eliminate the threat, even if its an outside chance, that the locksmith is linked to the criminal element. All doors and windows are best secured with locks that are not easily opened even if forced so double up on the locks if you feel that a single lock is not strong enough.

Strict control of the number of keys and who they are given to as well as where they are put and who has access to them are all points to bear in mind especially if there are many people living there.

Net curtains serve to protect against prying eyes during the day and before you spend time setting the furniture in place, put them up. Thicker curtains serve to block out unwanted attention and secure your privacy during those cosy nights in. The outside of the property is also an area that requires attention. These days wheelie bins are a prime target for data theft, throwing away letters from banks and credit card companies can cause you more problems than its worth so investing in a shredder would be a wise solution to protect yourself against identity theft. Wheelie bins wrongfully positioned can also offer quick and easy access over garden gates. Garden sheds should be padlocked because they often house the tools that make burglary a breeze. Expensive tools therein amount to a fair nights loot and should be stored in lock boxes rather than loose or neglected.

Pets too have a way of disappearing if they are neglected for any length of time and I have always thought that an Alsatian in the back yard is more of a deterrent than any alarm system.

Alarm systems and CCTV also serve to deter any would be burglar and with the aid of your computer/laptop you can be on holiday and still monitor your property through a CCTV link on the Internet. It is a very effective system that if linked to a multiplex system can record the happenings inside and outside your home 24 hours a day.

A simple look alike alarm box on the outside of the property can work to ward off inexperienced thieves. However if your home does contain anything of value then contacting an Alarm company like ADT would ensure that if you home was being burgled (god forbid) an alarm would trigger loud enough to wake you sleeping in your bed and the whole neighbourhood with an option of a silent alarm linked to the police who would/should appear within five minutes of the alarm sounding.

I have been in the security industry from the tender age of 17 and have explored every facet of it. From building security to body guarding if there was a way of summing it all up in one sentence then I'd have to say.

"Lock it or lose it."

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