Security insights to help you make an informed choice
Be safe and have a happy holiday – 10 tips for better home security
Don’t become a crime stat over the December holiday period when home security is under increased threat. Whether you’re away or staying at home it is the best time to make sure your business or home has extra protection.
By following these 10 tips you can deter criminal activity and enhance your home security or business security.
- Let your armed response security company know when you are going away and make sure they are able gain access onto your property while you’re away – it may mean having an extra key cut to a side gate.
- If you’re going on holiday try use a house-sitter. If that’s not an option then at the very least ask your neighbours on all sides of your property to keep an eye out for suspicious activity and to report it immediately to the armed response security company or police.
- Keep in touch with your neighbourhood crime forum or residents’ association to find out what the crime activity is like in your area around the time you plan to go on holiday – let them know that you’ll be away.
- Get onto any neighbourhood social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as becoming a part of your street or neighbourhood’s WhatsApp group. This way you can monitor suspicious activity in your area while you’re away or staying at home and take relevant action as and when it’s necessary.
- Whether you’re going on holiday or not, ask a consultant or guard from your armed response security company to check your property for potential weak spots and strengthen the safety of those areas – you can check for safety weaknesses yourself but often an outside expert eye will pick up on areas you’re overlooking.
- Invite your security company to check and service your alarm system, electric fencing and / or lightening protectors – visit www.6thsense.co.za to find out more about this service.
- If you don’t have a perimeter alarm system (including an alarm sensor on your outside gate), you should consider having one installed, as a common way for criminals to gain access to your property is by lifting the outside gate from its hinges. Call us on 011 888 6493 to find out more about our various security alarm systems.
- Install motion-detector floodlights around the perimeter of your property as it alerts neighbours and can act as a deterrent to criminals.
- Install two safes; one cheap version in the most obvious place in your home, like the bedroom wardrobe, with a little cash and some less valuable items inside it, while the second safe should be better installed and stronger to break into - this safe should house your most valuable items.
- If you’re going away, do ask your neighbour to collect your post on a daily basis – gathering mail sends a message to criminals that no one is home.
Do you have any queries about the security of your home? Please call us on 011 888 6493 or email us at 6thsense@syrex.co.za .
For more information about our alarm systems and maintenance service, please visit our page about 6th Sense Security Maintenance Services.
