Keep Your Home or Business Secure during the Holiday Season

The holiday season is just around the corner, which means going on trips for millions of Americans. Before making a final departure, it’s extremely important to make sure you safeguard your home or business you are leaving behind.

Residential burglaries typically occur during the day when residents are at work or school, and commercial burglaries occur mostly after business hours.

Travelers should limit whom they share their plans with and the information they post on social media.  For instance, people on Facebook commonly post comments with pictures saying We’re in Las Vegas, we’ll be back Thursday. You don’t know who you just shared that too.

We always recommend taking preventative steps, such as assuring doors and windows are locked. Double-check your alarm system is working properly.

If you do not have video security, there are camera systems along with a phone app. You can be across the country and look in your living room. This is a great way to keep an eye on things. But it takes away from the vacation when you worry about stuff like that.

Have someone lined up to come over and check up on your property. We recommend a trusted friend or relative give the home a lived-in look to thwart off burglars. Turn on lights, check the mailbox, and pick up newspapers.

We recommend investing in a quality door preferably steel enforced, or solid wood and deadbolts. Most burglaries occur by a simple kick to the door or a shoulder. Sometimes a swift kick can make a door fly right open. Unfortunately, some doors are put in without strength in mind.

Burglars want to avoid anything that would have them work harder or create a lot of noise. If you have a quality door, they’re not going to stand there and kick on it too long. A strong door increases the chances of being seen or heard. Some burglaries occur through a window, but burglars typically choose a door to get the stolen items out of the home or business and into their cars.

You should strengthen the perimeter security. We believe in doing that more than the alarm because many times the alarm won’t go off until burglars are already in. The goal is to keep burglars out in the first place.