Christmas Home Security Tips

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Christmas is a special time when families and friends come together and celebrate. It is also the time of year when families and friends are most generous and practice the tradition of giving gifts. It should be a joyous and happy time for us all.

Unfortunately for us, some burglars view the holiday season a little differently. For them, it is a time of opportunity to burglarise you home for cash, jewellery and all the new gifts neatly wrapped under the tree.

Here is a few tips of what the burglar looks for when shopping for a home to burglarise. These tips will help you enjoy Christmas without incident.

  • Burglars look for easy entry with good escape routes. Do not openly display Christmas Security Tipsyour Christmas gifts in the front window so it’s easily visible from your garden. Have a Christmas Tree Skirt to cover all.
  • Burglars look for occupancy / un-occupancy clues like outdoor lighting burning 24 hours a day, piled up post on the floor behind the door. Ask a friend or neighbour to check and remove the post.
  • If possible have a car parked in the drive-way facing the hall door. A car parked in your drive is the best deterrent re burglary prevention
  • Extension cords running through a window for Christmas lights can create a severe security hazard as this usually prevents the window from being closed and locked.
  • Switch off Christmas lights and electrical items when you’re not around. Make sure they are turned off to eliminate the possibility of fires caused by electrical faults.
  • Naked Flames, don’t leave candles unguarded in your home and make sure they are not placed near flammable items.
  • Avoid sharing too much information on social media outlets about your movements or what you got from Santa.
  • (After Christmas) Do not place empty boxes from expensive gifts such as computers, gaming equipment, Smart TV’S etc. out on bin collection day after the holidays. This may indicate to the burglar on the prowl that you have something worth stealing. Break down the boxes, shred them if you can or bring to the recycle station
Christmas Security Tips When Out Shopping
  • Organise a dedicated credit card for the Christmas shopping with a limited spending amount, if it is stolen or lost you will have limited loss and there will be no need to cancel all your regular credit cards.
  • Make more use of ATM’s and withdraw money each day and hold NO CASH at home.
  • When shopping in shopping centres avoid bringing bags laden with gifts back to the car in the car park and re- entering the shopping centre as the car park may be watched by would be thieves. Keep the back seat clear of shopping always place in the boot. Check with the store you are shopping in do they offer a holding area for goods bought for collecting later
  • When shopping with children, when you are back at the car ensure their safety is paramount while holding onto your handbag. Never leave your handbag on view on the front seat allowing it to be snatched while you are distracted putting your shopping away and with your children
  • When buying Christmas Raffle tickets do not put your full name, address or phone number on the ticket stub it is enough to give your first name and email address.
  • If going away do not put your full contact details on identification tags on your luggage

General Security Tips for ALL Year Round.

  • Increase the security to your home be adding a second visible lock to your exterior doors for use when away and at home. Ensure your opening window sashes have additional secure locks and if your window panes have exterior beading add the No Go window pane lock

Christmas November 2018 Security Tips

Home Security Tips

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