Home Security – Don’t Take It For Granted
It’s easy to be complacent about your home security – especially if you live in a secure home in a decent suburb where there’s never been any trouble and where your neighbours keep a friendly eye on your property when you’re not there.
But the harsh truth is, crime is on the rise and you simply can’t afford to take your home security for granted.
Think about this. Police statistics show that home burglaries in WA are at a 13-year high, with figures revealing that an average of 90 homes a day across the state were broken into during the month of January 2017. It’s easier than you think for a burglar to gain access to your property and even if you’re vigilant about closing windows and locking doors when you go out, that’s simply not good enough to ensure the safety of your property and your possessions.
Just imagine if you, your family and your assets were at risk because you were a bit slack about taking security precautions? Apart from the financial implications of a burglary, there can be huge emotional and psychological impacts too. It’s awful for anyone, let alone a child, to have to deal with the reality that ‘baddies’ have been around their home (which they thought was their safe sanctuary), and taken their things.
Generally, burglars are looking for high value items that they can grab easily and quickly such as jewellery, mobile phones, laptop computers, tablets and power tools, but it’s interesting to note that our growing love affair with cycling has resulted in a massive hike in the number of bicycles being nabbed. A recent news report in WAToday* quoted figures from the RAC which revealed that since 2014, there has been a 70 per cent increase in the number of bikes taken with the insurance company advising homeowners to always lock doors and windows and maintain security standards even when they’re AT home.
So, don’t become a robbery statistic. Here are some things you can do:
- Install a quality burglar alarm. This is one of the least intrusive – but most effective – ways of protecting your home and with so many different systems available, you can get one that is specially tailored for your needs.
- Consider sensors or beams on entry points and around the home which activate the alarm system if they are disturbed in any way.
- CCTV cameras. Technological advances have enhanced home security in many different ways including security cameras. Nowadays, CCTV cameras can be activated and checked remotely so you can see what’s going on at home even if you’re 1 000 kilometres away on holiday.
- Install physical barriers like key-operated window locks, burglar bars, retractable security screens or doors, deadlocks on all entry doors and quality locks on sheds, outhouses and garages.
- Ensure your property is well-lit, and you may want to consider movement-activated spotlights or exterior lights that turn on automatically at a certain time.
But home security isn’t just about protecting your home and assets from unwanted attention. It’s about making your home safe for those who use it – especially young children – and it’s imperative that you don’t take anything for granted when it comes to risk management. Unprotected windows on second storeys, flimsy balustrading, faulty smoke alarms, top heavy or unstable items of furniture, non-safety glass, a swimming pool that is less than 100% safe and unprotected power points are just some of the areas that we need to focus on to make sure our families are safe at all times.
It’s always worth evaluating your home security on a regular basis to make sure you haven’t overlooked anything and that you’re not getting a bit complacent and taking things for granted.
It’s also a good idea to get professional advice from a company that’s up-to-date with the very latest trends and technology so that you can make informed choices as to how you go about securing your home. Crown Security are the leading commercial security, residential security and home technology company in Perth and their experienced and knowledgeable team is on hand to meet the needs of every client, large or small.
To find out more about home security solutions in Perth, get hold of Crown Security on 08 9400 6000
- Posted by Steve Aldridge
- On 23/06/2017
