OPINION: A snapshot of home safety – 10 protective measures

Home safety is the topic of this installment in the Racine County Eye’s “Snapshots of Safety” series.

Our homes are one of the most vulnerable places in our lives. They hold memories and records and things that are personal and valuable to us. Yet we spend most of our days away from home.

There used to be an alarm company that showed a burglar breaking into the house in the middle of the night. It was meant to scare us. Most burglaries occur in the daytime because the offender doesn’t want to be confronted about their actions. Here are some things that will help make your property more secure.

Home safety top ten

1. Get an alarm sign and post it in your yard. Yes, this works. But why stop at a sign when there could really be an alarm?
2. Get a real alarm. Some of them even come with 24-hour monitoring.
3. Place surveillance cameras (wired is preferred to wi-fi) or doorbell cameras. These can be activated through movement and even monitored on your phone.
4. Install lighting around the exterior of the house. This also helps law enforcement if they need to be on your property when it is dark.
5. Get strong windows but remember that you don’t want any plants that go above the window frames. If someone is trying to sneak in, they can’t hide in the bushes.
6. Speaking of bushes, make sure they are the kind that will cut or injure anyone that is trying to crawl through them. This is a deterrent and may even provide some DNA evidence if needed.
7. Look around your yard and try to remove any objects that can be used to break into the house. Look for gardening equipment that you might have left out or even chairs that someone could use to help them break in through a window.
8. Don’t forget to close the garage door. Many times, burglaries are committed when the target is easy to acquire. If they can get in through the garage door, they will usually have access to the whole house.
9. Additionally, remember to lock and secure your doors and windows. If you can, replace any doors that are not steel or solid core. Get a peephole in the door and make sure there is not a window that gives a clear view into the home.
10. If you are going to go out of town, cancel the mail and put your delivery of periodicals (newspapers, etc.) on hold. Companies will sometimes give you credit for what you have missed or deliver it all at once when you return.

Have a family meeting and know what to do in case of emergencies. It is important to ask questions and be aware of how to proceed in case of an emergency, especially if there are children in the home.

This has been a snapshot of home safety. It’s meant to give you some ideas and to help you think about your personal and home safety.

Henry Perez is a retired law enforcement officer and certified in Crime Prevention through Environmental Design.

Racine County Eye Snapshot series

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