More often than not, the words criminal mastermind are an oxymoron. Consider the case of a young man in White Plains New York that tried holding up a bank using a zucchini. The good news is that it is not hard to defeat these thugs and keep them from breaking in to your place. So beware strangers wielding dangerous vegetables and keep these first five of the 10 Security Measures in mind. Be sure to check back next time for tips 6-10.
1. Lock your deadbolt. This is the simplest and most secure security measure you can have. It presents a physical barrier that is difficult to defeat. Sure, an intruder can still kick the door in, but that makes a lot of noise. More likely, he’ll just move on to an easier target. And you should lock your deadbolt even when you’re home.
2. Skip the chain lock. At Decker Properties, we never provide these. The loose chain inevitably gets caught in the door and damages the woodwork. In the meantime, these devices provide almost no security at all. Have you seen the tiny little screws they’re installed with? How much pressure on your door would it take to defeat that? Not much. And the chain doesn’t come into play as a locked barrier until the door is already opened. If you think you’re using one of these as a way to screen out Mr. Tall, Dark and Creepy, you’re way better off using a peep hole like the one’s we provide at Decker Properties, Inc.
3. It’s just your first initial and last name on the mailbox. No sense in advertising that you are a female living alone in your Shorewood apartment.
4. Don’t share your schedule with strangers. This seems obvious and you think you’ve got it covered. But my house got broken into years ago when we put a vacation stop on a newspaper delivery. The newspaper boy was just 10 years old. But he knew when we were leaving and when we were coming back. And he told his older brothers.
5. When you’re gone, make arrangements so that newspapers and mail don’t accumulate at your door. So based on my war stories, now you’re not going to cancel that newspaper or mail delivery. But a trusted somebody living in a Shorewood apartment had better be watching your door for you so you don’t leave obvious markers that you’re gone.
Come back soon to this blog page for five more security tips.