Tips to keep burglars at bay while you're away
Other Columnists
You've taken care of the plane tickets, hotel reservations
and
rental car.
But what about home, sweet home?
As you go about making plans and doing everything possible so the family
vacation goes off without a hitch, don't forget the home front. A few
preventive steps - such as installing exterior lighting, trimming shrubbery and
posting bright new signs for the alarm system - might be just enough to deter
burglars while the family is away.
According to the FBI, a burglary is committed somewhere in the United
States nearly every 15 seconds. Break-ins frequently happen during the day,
when people are at work or school. But the largest number of burglaries occur
in July and August, prime vacation months. February has the distinction of
being the month with the fewest break-ins.
Two simple ways to reduce your home's vulnerability are to purchase a
professionally installed alarm system that is monitored by a central station
and to enlist a relative or neighbor to house-watch.
According to insurance industry statistics, alarm systems reduce the chance
of burglaries by as much as 60 percent. Having someone move cars in and out of
the driveway, pick up mail or walk around the yard every few days can make it
look as if someone is home.
Another preventive measure is contacting the nearest police precinct in
advance. In many cases, departments will note your vacation and send a patrol
car by to keep an eye on things.
Nassau County residents should stop by their local precinct and fill out a
vacant-premises report, says Sgt. William Leahy of the Nassau Police
Department. "It takes a few minutes, and it lets us know when a resident will
be away," he says.
Here are a few more suggestions on how not to become a statistic:
Stop the mail. Have mail and newspaper delivery halted until you return.
Exterior lighting. Burglars don't want to be seen. Replace your exterior
lights, especially those near entry doors, with motion-sensor lights. These
lights are affordable, usually in the $40 range, and in most cases are wired
the same way as your existing exterior lights. Prune shrubs and trees. Doors
and windows should be visible from the street. If shrubs and trees are so
overgrown they can hide the family car, then they can hide a burglar, too.
Straighten up the exterior. Put ladders and yard tools in the garage or
shed. Burglars can use these items to gain access.
Arrange to have the lawn mowed and trimmed.
Pull the plug on your garage door opener. It doesn't happen too often with
the new generation of remote- control openers, but once in a while, they can
open because of electronic interference. Pull the plug, and lock doors
manually. If the door lock doesn't work, use two padlocks - one in each
interior track - to secure the door. Remove the remote control from cars that
will be parked in the driveway.
Upgrade window and door locks. Special locks for windows, French doors and
sliding patio doors are available at hardware stores and home centers. Some
locks for windows fit in the tracks and come with keys. Consider dead-bolt
locks for all entry doors. Before you leave, make a tour of the house, locking
all windows and doors.
Lean on a neighbor. Tell someone - a family member, a friend, a neighbor -
that you'll be away. Ask that person to stop by the house every so often. Maybe
he or she would be willing to park a car in your driveway for a few days or
put out the trash. Leave a phone number where you can be reached, and volunteer
to return the favor when your helper goes away.
Use an interior timer. Place timers on a few lights and a radio. Use
several timers, so a radio will play for a period during the day and another at
night. Also stagger the periods when lights will click on and off.
E- mail gary.dymski@ newsday.com.
