- SECURE ALL DOORS AND WINDOWS WHENEVER YOU LEAVE YOUR
HOME. Failing to lock ALL doors and windows when leaving
home, even for a few minutes, is one of the most common
mistakes leading to home robberies. A friendly neighbor
can turn into a burglar if all she has to do is walk
through a door or crawl through an open window. Keep
your neighbors honest---keep your doors and windows locked
whenever you leave your home.
- DON'T LEAVE A NOTE ON YOUR DOOR TELLING PEOPLE THAT
YOU ARE NOT AT HOME! Anyone who happens by could see it,
and your message might become an invitation to a burglar.
- LEAVE A LIGHT ON IN ONE OR TWO ROOMS WHEN YOU LEAVE
YOUR HOME AT NIGHT. This will give your home the appearance
of being occupied while you are away.
- WHEN GOING ON VACATION, LET A TRUSTED FRIEND KNOW HOW
TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. Ask him
to pick up your mail and gather up newspapers, hand bills,
litter, packages, and anything else that could alert a
burglar to the fact that your home is unoccupied.
- JOIN A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROJECT. Get to know your
neighbors, and report any suspicious characters to your
local police department immediately.
- NEVER GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION TO STRANGERS WHO
CALL YOU ON THE TELEPHONE! Burglars sometimes pose as
telephone solicitors or conductors of surveys, and if you
answer their questions, they can discover the contents of
your home. You DON'T have to answer an unknown caller's
questions, and you DON'T have to participate in anybody's
survey!
- IF YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER IS LISTED, DON'T LIST YOUR
ADDRESS. Ask your local telephone company to delete your
address from the listing. Better yet, get an unlisted
number.
- IF YOU ARE A WOMAN LIVING ALONE and you have a listed
number, have the number listed under your initials or under
a male relative's name. Do not use your first name in the
listing, and NEVER include your address in the listing.
- KEEP VALUABLES OUT OF SIGHT WHEN COMPANY ARRIVES, AND
DON'T DISCUSS THE CONTENTS OF YOUR HOME WITH ANYONE OUTSIDE
OF YOUR FAMILY. The temptation to show off your belongings
or to brag about them has affected most of us at one time
or another, but what you stand to lose by doing so is far
greater than the momentary satisfaction you might gain.
- NEVER OPEN YOUR DOOR TO A STRANGER. If a stranger
claims to be a police officer, FBI agent, IRS auditor, or
other law enforcement official, ask for identification.
Also ask them to slide a business card under the door with
a number so that you can call to verify their identity
BEFORE you open the door or answer any questions. Look
for a marked vehicle parked on the street nearby, because
ANYONE can buy a uniform and a badge, and IDs can be easily
faked.
- KEEP PERSONAL AREAS IN YOUR HOME OFF LIMITS TO VISITORS.
Some people, when they make new friends, show their new
friends all around their homes as a gesture of welcome.
Not only is it unnecessary to extend welcome in this manner,
it is extremely unwise. For example, your new friends don't
need to see your bedroom unless you intend to entertain them
in it!
- NEVER GIVE THE KEYS TO YOUR HOME WITH A STRANGER.
If you must leave a key with a valet or parking attendant,
leave the key to your car's ignition only. Take all other
keys with you.
- NEVER HAVE YOUR NAME AND/OR ADDRESS IMPRINTED ON A KEY
TAG. Don't assume that if you lose your keys, the finder
will be honest enough to return them to you. (You may want
to put a telephone number on the key tag instead.)
- TRIM ALL PLANTS AROUND YOUR HOME SO THAT BURGLARS HAVE
NO PLACE TO HIDE. This will help discourage burglars from
targeting YOUR home.
- ALWAYS KEEP YOUR SHADES AND DRAPES DRAWN AT NIGHT.
People who turn on their lights at night without drawing
their shades or closing their blinds could also turn on
a burglar. A lighted house with open drapes is like a
fishbowl at night, exposing its contents to every passerby.
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author unknown
g'day