Protect your family home this Christmas! | Irish Life Blog

Protect your family home this Christmas!

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Some tips to help ensure your home is secure over the festive season:

Searched the internet and there are lots of information as to keep your home safe this Christmas, a selection of these are listed below:

Festive lighting ? be secure. A common mistake of many festive decorators is to feed extension cables through partially open windows, criminals know to look for this vulnerability. When it comes to outdoor lighting, opt for solar or battery operated lights or install outdoor electrical outlets.

Dispose of gift packaging carefully.?Refuse collections over the Christmas and New Year period are normally at different times. If you can?t take packaging to a recycling point, make sure you only put your rubbish out just before the collection and do your best to break apart boxes so that they do not advertise your new contents of your home to thieves!

Be careful not to advertise your home to burglars on social media!?Social media savvy families have a tendency to publish their whereabouts during the holiday season, including any vacation plans. This lets burglars know when your house is going to be empty. Uploaded photos of pricey Christmas gifts can also be a problem as it basically allows burglars to go shopping just by viewing your Facebook profile.

Check doors and windows for weak spots. Installing a few dead-bolts and new window hinges could increase the security of your home exponentially.

Keep your curtains, drapes and window blinds closed at night, making sure valuable items are out of sight. When going out for the evening make use of inexpensive timers to give the illusion of occupancy.

Away over Christmas ? plan ahead!!. If you?re going away at Christmas be sure to cancel any newspaper or milk subscriptions. Arrange for a neighbour to park on the driveway to help create the impression someone is home. Do not to leave descriptive telephone answering machine messages or and again make use of light timers.

Secure garages & sheds. Make sure that garden tools or ladders that could be used to force entry into your home are not left lying around or accessible from an unlocked garden shed. Garages are often targets for burglars looking for tools, bikes and gardening equipment ? make sure the garage is secure and your possessions are secured too in the case of bikes and tools. Naturally make sure anything portable / valuable is recorded on immobilise.

Don?t hide keys & use alarms if you have them. Burglars know to look for hidden door keys so don?t hide spare keys under rocks, in flowerpots, or above door ledges. Instead give the spare key to family or trusted neighbour. Many houses these days have alarms, many though are rarely set, make sure yours is on and protecting your home.

An Garda S?och?na have lots of useful information covering all areas of personal safety/burglary prevention:?http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=1921&Lang=1

Below is one of the information sheets found on the link above.. I challenge all to do the check list, just how many ?No?s? will you get?

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An Garda S?och?na Crime Prevention Information Sheet

Burglars like easy opportunities. If they have to make a lot of noise, spend a lot of time or risk being seen, the chances are they won?t bother. A good rule of thumb is the 3 minute delay test. If you can deny entry for 3 min- utes or more ? chances are the burglars will go elsewhere. Complete this simple home security survey to deter- mine how well your home is secured against burglary. Ignore questions not relevant to your own home.

Remember, every NO answer is a threat to your home security.

Doors and Windows

1. Are all your external doors properly fitted and equipped with appropriate secure locking sys- tems? (i.e. 5-lever mortice locks for wooden doors, multi-point locking for uPVC doors etc.)
2. If you have glass panelled doors ? are they reinforced in some way so that they cannot be shattered?
3. Have you a wide-angled viewer in your front/main entrance doors or other means of viewing callers?
4. Do you have a door chain / limiter fitted and do you use it?
5. Since moving into your home (where there may have been a previous occupier) have you had the locks changed?
6. Are your spare keys kept with a trusted neighbour and never left under an external mat, flower pot etc.
7. Do you lock your external doors when away from home, no matter how short a time?
8. Do you lock the doors out of your view when working in the garden / yard?
9. Have you installed an additional lock(s) to your sliding glass / patio doors?
10. Can you close and lock your garage / outhouse doors?
11. Are the garage / outhouse doors protected with quality locks or deadbolts?
12. Do you close and lock your garage /outhouse doors?
13. Are all your windows secure?
14. Can the window openings be restricted for ventilation?
15. Do you check to see if all windows are secured when you leave your home?

Inside Security

1. Do you ask for identification before allowing unknown servicemen / callers into your home?
2. ?Do you avoid leaving cash at home?
3. Have you automatic timers on some lights when your house is vacant?
4. Does your home always look like someone is at home?
5. Have you recorded serial numbers of your valuables?
6. Have you, for identification purposes, photographed your valuables especially items for which you have no serial numbers such as jewellery, china, crystal, paintings, antiques etc?
7. Are your car / house keys kept in a location not visible from the outside?

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Outside Security

1. Is your house number visible from the street?
2. Is there sufficient illumination around your home to allow visible inspection of any dark areas around it?
3. Is there sufficient external lighting outside every door to illuminate visitors?
4. Do neighbours and passers-by have a clear view of your home?
5. Have you trimmed all hedges and shrubs so they can?t hide a burglar at work on the windows and doors?
6. Have you ever walked around your house looking for ways a burglar might be able to get in?
7. Do you keep tools or ladders etc. in places inaccessible to potential burglars?
8. Are machines, tools and other high value items stored in garages or sheds securely padlocked or chained to prevent removal?
9. Is your shed / garage secure?

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Holiday Security

1. Have you a reliable neighbour whom you can notify of your travel plans and give a key to, with a request for a periodic house check?
2. Do you have a neighbour collect your mail or newspapers when you are away or do you avail of Mailminder from An Post?
3. Do you cancel all deliveries?
4. Do you have your neighbour park his / her extra car in your driveway when you are away from home?
5. ?Do you arrange to have your lawn mowed?
6. Do you notify the Garda? of prolonged absences from your home?

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Electronic Security

1. Do you have an intruder alarm system fitted and do you use it?
2. Does it conform to the European Norm standard EN 50131?
3. Is it maintained and serviced annually?
4. Are you aware of the current Garda Intruder Alarm Policy?
5. Do you know how to operate and use your alarm system functions?
6. Have you considered connecting it to a monitoring centre or your mobile phone?
7. Have you appointed a keyholder(s) and will they respond appropriately to an alarm activation?

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