When was the last tine that you really thought about the security of your property – either your home or your business? While we often assume that opportunistic burglaries are rife in the summer, when doors and windows are left open to catch a breeze and the heat can make us more careless without belongings, there actually tends to be a peak during the winter months. This isn’t just because theives take a summer vacation. In fact, it probably has more to do with the longer nights, the giveaway signs of lights on showing if an owner is there or not, or perhaps even the thought of more takings or expensive gifts being in a business or a household. Whatever it is, you shouldn’t be taking any chances. So how can you better protect your property and prevent it from becoming a target?
Minimizing The Risk Of Burglary
A lot of securing your property comes down to understanding the psychology of burglary. Contrary to popular belief, most thieves don’t act that impulsively. They are taking a high stakes risk, and will most usually do their research on a business premises or a home before attempting to break in. So you want to focus on making your property seem as high-risk and low-reward as possible. Making your home or business seem less accessible, putting solid security measures in place and perhaps even employing professional security services can really help.
Installing Alarms
Burglar alarms are a huge deterrent and should be as easy to spot as possible. The prospect of noise and light – and possibly a security patrol response – will put off a lot of would be thieves. This can be especially useful if your store, office or home is located somewhere fairly busy, where an alarm is likely to be noticed and attract attention.
Motion Sensor Lighting
The cover of darkness is a big asset to those up to no good. It allows their movements to go undetected with greater ease, but installation of a motion sensor lighting system can instantly take that away. The last thing burglars want is anything that draws attention to their activities, so a floodlight is a huge step in the right direction. It can also help to alert anyone inside the property that there is someone outside. It’s also important to consider the lighting that you have inside. In winter, having all your lights off can be a clear signal that there is no one there. Buying a digital timer plug can really help with this, as you can set it to bring lights on or off at specific times and give the appearance taht a property is occupied. In the home, smart lighting systems like Nest have the option to be operated remotely or set into a predetermined cycle using your smartphone.
Installing CCTV
Of course, many business owners find that installing security cameras is a great way forward. Not only do they allow you to see exactly what is happening at your premises at any given time, but if an incident does occur they can provide vital evidence to help the investigations of police. Most CCTV systems are relatively simple to install these days and can be operated remotely using an app. The presence of a security camera is a well known deterrent for thieves and many will not choose to risk being caught on camera footage which could identify them at a later date. However, this technology should always be used safely. There is a small chance that any ‘smart’ surveillance technology could be hacked into and used by cybercriminals, so proper installation and operating procedures need to be followed to avoid inadvertently creating security risks on another front.
Locking Up Your Property
Whether business or residential, proper security of your property with quality, modern locks is an absolute must. It’s your final line of defence against any would-be thieves. Concentrating on securing not just the main structure, but any outbuildings or garages as these are often targeted first, due to being away from the main building, largely unoccupied, frequently unsecured and full of items. If you are landlord to a tenanted property make sure that you keep track of how many keys are issued and that tenants alert you if any go missing. You may choose to replace the locks at the end of each tenancy as a matter of course. For commercial premises you may also want to add additional security features to ground floor windows like shoot bolts. These internal mechanisms can provide a valuable second line of defence to repel intruders.
With a little thought, you can keep your properties safe and secure this winter and minimize your risk of encountering crime.