Tips for home security around the holidays

Everyone loves the holidays, with Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas lights, New Year's parties, and plenty of shopping and festivities in between. But do you know who else loves the holidays, but for far different reasons? Home burglars and thieves.

In fact, there are 2.15 million home thefts in the United States every year, but five-or-so weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years Day report the second-highest burglary rates of the entire year. Why do the bad guys love breaking into your home and helping themselves to Christmas presents (your things) every year?

• ·      They know there will be far more new purchases sitting around, including expensive items and brand new electronics.
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• ·      People are home less during the holidays, as they often are at holiday parties, celebrating with family, or even away on extended vacations.
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• ·      There are also far more people coming and going from every home, so they’re less likely to be noticed.
• ·      People are also more distracted during the holidays so security may lapse – or your neighbors may not notice them coming and going.
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• ·      It’s dark much earlier, giving them cover, and, the best of all…
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• ·      There are plenty of packages sitting right out on front steps! They can literally follow the mailman, UPS, and FedEx driver around and help themselves.

It's also a lot easier than you may think for thieves to get into your house. In fact, about 65% of home thefts take place in broad daylight, and 1 in 3 thefts occur by unforced entry, meaning no doors or windows were broken because they were left open or unlocked. With the average financial loss of a burglary ranging from $2,400 to $4,000 these days, as well as the feelings of emotional violation they bring, you can't afford not to protect yourself and your family.

Here are some tips for home security around the holidays:

1. Burglars are 80% less likely to break into your home if they notice cameras and an alarm system on your premises. In fact, a study by Rutgers Univesity found that the majority of criminals purposely avoid a house that obviously has a security system or alarm. These days, there are so many great alarm systems that are easy to install and use, even mobile from your smartphone. They also don't have to cost too much but remember that it’s also an investment, and you’ll probably get a discount on your property insurance just by having one.

2. Other than alarm systems and cameras, the best way to deter would-be intruders is to install bright security lights that are triggered by motion sensors.

3. Since there are so many “package thieves” these days, it’s recommended that you have multiple security cameras on your front porch with clear footage of your front door area.

4. It's also a good idea to request a signature receipt when you order things online. That way, the mailman/UPS driver etc. needs to get your signature before delivering packages, and they won't just be left on your front porch. If no one will be home all day because you'll be at work (like most of us), simply have your things delivered to your work address.

5. If you’re traveling for the holidays, you might want to hire someone to stay at your house instead of just leaving it vacant. If nothing else, cancel your mail and make sure lights and even stereos and TVs are rotated on and off.

6. Close curtains when you’re not at home – not being able to glance inside deters thieves.

7. Keep all doors and windows locked. Double check places like bathroom windows, garages windows, etc.

8. Sliding doors are particularly vulnerable to access from burglars. You can install a secondary sliding lock and/or use a pole that fits in its tracks so the door won’t slide (called a “Brooklyn Lock.”

9. If you're away for long periods, put your lights on a timer. But thieves even watch for homes that have the same lights on at the same time every night, so use one of the easy new timers that turn them on and off randomly, or you can control them from your smartphone.

10. Take a careful inventory of all valuables in the house, with model numbers and serial numbers, etc. Make sure these are covered and submitted to your insurance company. It’s also a good idea to register items with Immobilise.com to make any thefts easy to track if they’re resold online.

11. Close up and lock the garage as it’s the easiest place for thieves to get into your residence without attracting attention, and then they can go to work on getting into the rest of your home. Too often, people treat garage security as an afterthought, leaving doors unlocked or with flimsy locks and windows not hooked up to alarms. Instead, frost the windows and door glass in your garage and install security bolts.

12. Likewise, bolt and frost basement windows if you have them.

13. Clean up the outside of your house, cutting back shrubs and bushes that make ideal hiding places for thieves. Likewise, cut landscaping back from first-floor windows and tree branches that would easily lead them to second story access. Don’t leave ladders outside if you’re putting up Christmas lights or cleaning gutters, etc.

14. Get to know the neighbors, leaving them your contact info at work, and join the local neighborhood watch.

15. Even more than alarm systems, thieves are scared of dogs. So why not buy a vicious killer (cute puppy) dog for your family this Christmas. But if you’re not interested in having another four-legged family member, simply purchase Beware of Dog signs and leave BIG dog food bowls outside on the front and back porches.

What NOT to do this holiday season:

• ·      Don’t post your name on your mailbox, and don’t use a mailbox unless it locks.
• ·      Don’t put boxes and packaging from expensive items like computers, TVs, etc. in your garbage or visibly in your recycle bin.
• ·      Don’t leave spare keys under doormats, under planters, over doorways, or in other obvious places.
• ·      Don’t use a cheap lock that can be easily opened by a bump key, a tool that burglars employ to quickly break open 90% of the standard locks on the market.
• ·      Don’t reveal too much on social media. Be very careful what you post on your Facebook and other social media accounts during the holiday season. A simple Facebook post like “We’re going to pick out a Christmas tree today,” or about how crowded the mall is, etc. and clue thieves in that your home will be vacant. Front there, it’s very easy for them to find your home address, either on your social media accounts or via public records.