Family Holiday Security Checklist

Since we are coming up on the holiday season, let’s take some time
to look at the security of our home and the safety of our family. Remember the
holiday season is a time of hustle and bustle so the following are some tips to
keep you and your family safe around your home and when you are out enjoying
the season.

   -Check all of your exterior doors of your home. Make sure each
door is either made of a solid hardcore wood or metal and has a working
deadbolt on it.  Also, check the back doors of your garage since these are frequently used by burglars to gain entry because of an insufficient, flimsy door and an out of sight route for the prowler. These doors are frequently overlooked by homeowners.

   -Make sure the locks on your windows work. If you have a sliding
glass door that does not have a lock on the track, place a pole or board in the
floor track to prevent it from being opened from the outside.

   -Take a look at your trees and shrubbery around your house, make sure they do not obscure the view of your doors and/or windows from the street or provide a place where an intruder could hide undetected. Also if putting up holiday lights, keep in mind to not cover your address number of your house so emergency personnel can correctly identify your home if needed.

    -Burglars hate light. You should replace outside perimeter lighting with motion activated lamps. These are very inexpensive these days and readily available at most hardware and electronic stores. The protection they will provide coupled with the convenience of having a well-lit area to come home to, make them a must have.

If you are traveling for the holidays here are some tips:

• Don’t blog your itinerary on social media sites or tell people who
  don’t need to know that you are going to be away from the house. Also don’t
  give updates while on vacation about how much fun you are having.
• Put your mail on hold at the US Post Office.
• Put your office address and cell phone numbers on your luggage
  tags if flying.
• Remove all address information from your car if parking at the
  airport or parking lot. If information is stolen, anyone who breaks into your
  vehicle would know you are not home and would have your address and possibly your garage door opener.
• Have a trusted family member or neighbor check on your home while
  you are gone.
• Make sure all outdoor storage sheds or other exterior buildings
  kept securely locked while you are gone.
• Have a neighbor park an extra car in your driveway when you are
  away.
• Use timer lights to appear someone is home and use motion lighting
  outside.

    -Make sure if you are shopping at a shopping mall or store to not keep any personal information such as your address in your car or glove compartment. If your car is broken into, the person may see an opportunity to burglarize your home since he/she knows you are not at home.

    -Be mindful during this festive season to always keep all doors
leading into your house or garage kept closed and locked at all time. Criminals
are hoping that people are so caught up in the festive season that they forget
to lock their doors or think about security.

    -Since children will be off for the holiday break, make sure that
you discuss with them the following regarding security:

• -Talk to your children not to open the door to anyone without
  first consulting you for permission. They should be taught not to respond to
  anyone who comes to the door in your absence; nor to open the door, as this would violate home security.
• Teach your children how too properly lock all doors, including patio and basement doors and the importance to keep these doors locked at all
  times.
• Ensure your children know how to make emergency phone calls to:
  9-1-1, the fire department, a neighbor, or you, and know about which agency is responsible for each.
• When shopping with your child, make sure you point out safe people they can go to if they are separated from you and talk to them about stranger danger. Talk to your teens about the risks of shopping at the mall such as safeguarding cash and credit cards, ATM safety, staying with friends ,and staying safe in the parking lot.
• When you talk on the phone to strangers avoid giving answers or making statements which would help the caller gain access to your residence or
  to you. Also when you record your greeting on the telephone answering machine do you take care not to give out information about why you did not answer the phone.

    -Call your local police to ask for an officer to come to your house to conduct a free security assessment on your home. This is a free service that you police department offers and it is rarely used.