Assess the Vulnerabilities of Your House
The burglar looks for an easy target - why go for a difficult one when there are plenty of houses to choose from. He also looks for one that will yield him good takings. He seeks to minimise risk and maximise reward.
Imagine a burglar observing your house checking out what is available for him to steal and how he might gain access to your home.
What the burglar wants to see...
- The house is on a quiet road with little or no passing traffic
- Gates are left open
- Fences are in disrepair making access easy
- Lots of overgrown shrubs and bushes in the garden
- Convenient ladders or other equipment left lying around that will make getting into the house easier
- Unlocked or open garages, sheds, greenhouses and other outbuildings
- Valuable items left lying around outdoors
- Cars with valuables in a clear view and keys left in the ignition
- Flat roofs with the easy access to second floor windows
- No alarm and no signs that the owners have taken steps to protect their property
- No pets
- A spare key under the doormat
- Open windows and doors in the main house
- Family members coming and going, leaving the front door unlocked and open
- Visible signs of goods worth stealing e.g. televisions, CD players, digital camera,s computers, handbags, cash and wallets etc.
What the burglar doesn't want to see...
- Strong secure fences and prickly shrubs
- Side gates that are locked with an no view or access to the rear
- Fierce looking dogs that are loose inside the house and the garden
- Evidence of burglar alarms such as bell boxes, or signs saying these premises are protected by 'xxx'
- Sensor operated floodlights
- Windows and doors clearly protected by professionally installed locks
- No valuables to be seen at all
If these were two properties and you were a criminal, which house would you target?
Given the range of security where do you think your property stands?
This gives you an idea of the amount of work you need to do to make your property secure.
(The above are examples. You should identify security issues and countermeasures appropriate to your house and lifestyle.)
When you have identified every security issue you can see, you have a ready-made list of simple and effective countermeasures to put into place.
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