Making Yourself and Your Home Safe For the Winter
The end of Daylight Savings Time on November 2 ushered in the season of early sunsets and long, cold nights - a time when many homeowners should consider extra precautions.
In the United States, law enforcement statistics show two-thirds of all robbers each year happen to private residences.
For robbery, defined as the theft of property from an individual, the statistics are also compelling.
The FBI's most recent data shows a slight rise in property crimes such as burglary and robbery, especially in cities with more than a million people.
The areas of the Southern United States also saw a slight increase.
Taking steps to protect yourself Many consumers are surprised at how little initial cost outlay is required to drastically increase their level of security.
For example, personal alarms and non-lethal defense weaponry are often very affordable.
These items, such as pepper spray, personal alarms, and tactical batons, are also often compact enough to fit inside a lady's purse or a man's coat pocket.
Pepper spray uses a powerful chemical irritant called capsicum, derived from South American chili spray, to provoke a powerful allergic reaction in an attacker's nose and eyes.
The results are almost instantaneous and powerfully effective.
Capsicum spray is also often sold under the names OC Spray, OC gas, and even sometimes called Mace, after a prior form of the spray.
Personal alarms, such as sirens and whistles, are also helpful in drawing attention to a crime as it happens.
Protecting the home Some statistics show that in many cases burglars were able to enter a house simply by walking through the front door.
Protecting the home with adequate deadbolt protection should be a priority, especially for new homeowners unaccustomed to a new area or neighborhood.
Taking steps to meet and discuss security issues with new neighbors can also form useful partnerships and make for the beginnings of an effective neighborhood watch.
Experts also recommend chaining and padlocking basement doors and unused rear and side doors, as well as garages.
Backyards should be kept well lit at night and locked with a gate and fence when possible.
To protect valuable such as lawn care equipment or tools, lock them up even when leaving them for only a short amount of time.
Though it's sometimes considered a charming rustic touch, extra keys should never be left under doormats, under or within flowerpots, or atop doorjambs where thieves can readily discover them.
Instead, using one of a new breed of diversion safes can allow second-change passage into the house without sacrificing security.
Diversion safes are small safe-boxes camouflaged to resemble ordinary home garden or garage objects, such as decorative stones or canisters of motor oil or engine fluid.
They're treated to even resemble long years of use, allowing them to blend in perfectly with their surroundings.
Inside, however, is a compartment to hold keys or any number of small objects that might be necessary when locked outside one's own home.
In the United States, law enforcement statistics show two-thirds of all robbers each year happen to private residences.
For robbery, defined as the theft of property from an individual, the statistics are also compelling.
The FBI's most recent data shows a slight rise in property crimes such as burglary and robbery, especially in cities with more than a million people.
The areas of the Southern United States also saw a slight increase.
Taking steps to protect yourself Many consumers are surprised at how little initial cost outlay is required to drastically increase their level of security.
For example, personal alarms and non-lethal defense weaponry are often very affordable.
These items, such as pepper spray, personal alarms, and tactical batons, are also often compact enough to fit inside a lady's purse or a man's coat pocket.
Pepper spray uses a powerful chemical irritant called capsicum, derived from South American chili spray, to provoke a powerful allergic reaction in an attacker's nose and eyes.
The results are almost instantaneous and powerfully effective.
Capsicum spray is also often sold under the names OC Spray, OC gas, and even sometimes called Mace, after a prior form of the spray.
Personal alarms, such as sirens and whistles, are also helpful in drawing attention to a crime as it happens.
Protecting the home Some statistics show that in many cases burglars were able to enter a house simply by walking through the front door.
Protecting the home with adequate deadbolt protection should be a priority, especially for new homeowners unaccustomed to a new area or neighborhood.
Taking steps to meet and discuss security issues with new neighbors can also form useful partnerships and make for the beginnings of an effective neighborhood watch.
Experts also recommend chaining and padlocking basement doors and unused rear and side doors, as well as garages.
Backyards should be kept well lit at night and locked with a gate and fence when possible.
To protect valuable such as lawn care equipment or tools, lock them up even when leaving them for only a short amount of time.
Though it's sometimes considered a charming rustic touch, extra keys should never be left under doormats, under or within flowerpots, or atop doorjambs where thieves can readily discover them.
Instead, using one of a new breed of diversion safes can allow second-change passage into the house without sacrificing security.
Diversion safes are small safe-boxes camouflaged to resemble ordinary home garden or garage objects, such as decorative stones or canisters of motor oil or engine fluid.
They're treated to even resemble long years of use, allowing them to blend in perfectly with their surroundings.
Inside, however, is a compartment to hold keys or any number of small objects that might be necessary when locked outside one's own home.
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