Summer Safety: Simple Steps to Keep Your Home Safe
NOTE TO EDITORS: This item is part of a feature series titled Justice Matters, produced by the Department of Justice. Today's article focuses on tips to help vacationers protect their home. It is the first of several articles planned on summer safety.
JUSTICE MATTERS--SUMMER SAFETY SERIES
It's summer. It's time for a badly needed vacation. It can also mean that your home will be unoccupied while you spend some quality time at the beach. If you are going to be away, make sure you take some simple steps to help keep your home safe and secure while you're gone.
One of the most important things to do is enlist the help of trusted neighbours. They can make sure mail and newspapers are picked up, plants are watered and lawns are mowed. They can enter your house to open the curtains and turn your radio on and off, helping to give your home that lived-in look.
If a neighbour isn't available, have the post office stop your mail and cancel your newspapers. Timers are also effective, particularly those that allow for multiple programming for such things as radios and televisions. There is nothing quite so startling to a would-be thief than a light going on or off, or the sound of voices coming from inside.
Make sure you store your garden equipment, bikes, barbecues and lawn mowers in a locked shed or garage. Ladders should be safely stored away and not left lying in the yard. It is also important to keep things like picnic tables, tent trailers or firewood away from the walls of your home -- otherwise they can be used to gain access to upper windows.
Do not put your name on the exterior of your home. It makes it far too easy for someone to simply look up your phone number and check to see if anyone is at home. If you are at home and a stranger refers to you by name, it can take you off guard and make you more vulnerable to whatever scam they may be trying to push. Make sure you do not advertise the fact that you will be away on the message you leave on your answering machine.
Lighting is also an important consideration. Good lighting can be one of the most effective deterrents to would-be burglars. Lights should be aimed downward to avoid shadows. A photoelectric switch can be installed to ensure lights turn on at dusk and off at dawn. Motion sensors are also effective in illuminating walkways and entrances when someone approaches.
Make sure trees and shrubs are well trimmed so light is not blocked and entrances are visible. Make sure bulbs are protected with a wire screen or plastic mesh so unscrupulous sorts won't be trying to put your lights out -- literally. If you're using spotlights, make sure they are high enough so they cannot be easily unscrewed.
When you're putting your luggage in the car, use the garage if possible. If you don't have a garage, don't pile a number of suitcases and summer travel things in the driveway while packing the car. Not only will your neighbours know you're planning on leaving town, so will a lot of other people.
Make sure all windows and doors are securely locked. Do not leave a spare key outside; an enterprising burglar is sure to find it.
There are other steps to take to protect your home and your belongings while you are away. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., in partnership with the RCMP and the Insurance Bureau of Canada, has produced some useful publications designed to help you thwart thieves. Additional information can be found by contacting them directly. And, don't forget to enjoy your vacation!