Tips: Protect Your Home, Business From Burglars
It's wonderful to have a state-of-the-art security system protecting your home -- as long as you use it.
"Burglars have a special fondness for homeowners and business managers who neglect to arm their security devices," said Matthew De Gennaro, vice president of Staten Island, N.Y.-based Video Surveillance Corp. "Intruders appreciate any additional help people unknowingly provide to make their criminal activity easier."
De Gennaro provides these tips for protecting your family, home or business property:
- Don't assume you know someone just because they look familiar. Potential burglars have been known to case a home while making a delivery or providing a service at the property.
- Remember this: If a stranger uses your bathroom -- and the bathroom has a window -- it's simple to unlatch the window lock and return at a later time to burglarize the home.
- Don't leave your children's expensive toys in the yard. To a burglar, costly kids' playthings translate to expensive grownup possessions within your home.
- With colder months, many homeowners have begun making winter travel plans. In the event of snow, arrange to have a neighbor walk up to and away from the entryways of your home. Clean, unblemished snowdrifts in front of a house are a telltale sign to burglars that no one is home.
- If you plan to be away, make sure you put your paper deliveries on hold; and have someone collect your mail and remove any handbills left at your door.
"A little bit of diligence can go a long way in safeguarding your home," De Gennaro said.