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It’s almost spring, which means the weather is getting better and more people are out and about. Also, many families will be going out of town for spring break, so here are some home safety tips from fellow parent Ed Bacchus.

Home Safety in Today’s World

by Ed Bacchus

I was a victim of a home robbery in college and was convinced that it was the result of furniture I had delivered just prior to the break in. I could never completely prove it, but one of the delivery persons was very interested in my stereo system.

A close friend was recently robbed while his wife went to work in the afternoon and this caused me to review some of these issues I have learned over the years.

First of all, if someone really wants to get in your house, they will. No security or safety measure can insure this, but I have always felt that you can at least make it hard on a would-be thieve.

For years friends would make fun of me because I used the “club” on my car steering wheel, but would never lock the car. My response was that all I wanted to do was make the thieve think about the extra few seconds it would take to steal my car compared to another one.

One night we came out of the movie theatre and noticed broken glass on the ground next to my car. Someone had broken into the car next to mine, and mine was safe. True that this doesn’t stop thieves from getting the stereo, but you get the picture.

So, below is advice I give people to consider for their home safety.

1. Try not to Tell People Your Business -Don’t let them know you’re home alone or that you’re away at certain times of the day. You never know when someone is watching your movements. When I have the carpet cleaned, I never tell people on the phone that I’m not home during the day. I tell them that both my wife and I work from home. When the service people are there, I bring it up during the conversation.

Don’t tell your neighbors when you are going out of town. A teenager overheard his parents talking about a neighbor going on vacation and he then told his friends who robbed the home.

2. Hide your valuables when service people come in your house - Close your doors, put things away because people are always checking out what you’ve got.

3. Buy Door Jammers - In many suburbs, kick-in break-ins are on the rise. Get Door Jammers that make it hard to kick in your front door. A Door Jammer is a metal pipe with rubber feet on both ends. It works on tile and carpet. You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to kick a door in.

4. Get a Security System and Use It - Yeah it costs $20-$30 a month, but you wouldn’t believe how many people fail to use theirs. The windows stickers and signs advertising the security system is worth the cost alone.

5. Get a dog that barks - You wouldn’t believe how this can deter a thief. My dog doesn’t bark, but I always let the service people who come to my house see the dog running around.

6. Get Motion Detector Flood Lights installed Outside - Go to Home Depot and buy a couple. Call an electrician and have him place them in strategic places around your house. Many thieves case a home at night for night-time break-ins. If they see you have these installed, they may not want to risk the exposure.

7. Get Window Locks - $1.50 each at the local hardware store. A simple 1″ inch metal square that you tighten with an allen wrench. You can install them on easy accessible windows around the house on the first floor of your home. The window lock is one of the cheapest ways to feel safe. My grandparents used to use a wooden broomstick jammed in the window so it wouldn’t open, and it served the same purpose.

8. Use Your Garage - If you have a garage, clean it out and make sure you park your car there. Keep your garage door closed.

9. Have a close friend pick up your mail or newspapers while you’re away - Postal workers are now known to share mail holding information with would-be thieves.
Remember, thieves usually choose the path which offers the least resistance. Just make it hard on them and they may move on. Again, nothing offers complete safety, but I hope these tips give you something to think about.

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Ed Bacchus is the author of Parenting Toys - a daddyblog with a little flava. To learn more about Ed, visit his blog and click on 100 Things About Me.

This is a little series based around (mis)interpretations of fairytales.