House-breaking, also known as break and enter or burglary, is one of the most common crimes and can occur at any time of the day or night in Brisbane. It is important to be vigilant in protecting your home from potential break-ins by regularly assessing our home security, introducing targeted security measures and changes to our everyday behaviours.
Tips For Making Your Home More Secure
Lock all doors and windows: This may seem obvious, but it’s important to make sure all doors and windows are locked at all times, even when you’re at home. Use deadbolts on exterior doors and use locks on windows.
Install a security system: A security system can be a great deterrent for burglars. Consider installing a monitored alarm system that will alert authorities if the alarm is triggered. Or you can also install security cameras and smart doorbells which can be monitored remotely through an app.
Light up your property: Burglars prefer to work in the dark, so make sure your property is well-lit at night. Install motion-detector lights around your home and make sure there are no dark areas that can be used as hiding spots.
Trim hedges and bushes: Overgrown hedges and bushes can provide cover for burglars, so make sure to trim them back to reduce hiding spots around your home.
Keep valuables out of sight: Don’t leave valuable items such as jewelry, electronics, or cash in plain sight. Keep them in a safe or hidden in a secure location.
Secure sliding glass doors: Sliding glass doors can be easily opened if they’re not properly secured. Use a sliding door security bar or install a keyed locking mechanism on the door.
Get to know your neighbors: Having a good relationship with your neighbors can be an effective way to deter burglars. Your neighbors can watch out for suspicious activity and alert authorities if they see something out of the ordinary.
Get a dog: A dog can be an excellent burglar deterrent, as burglars will be less likely to break into a home with a dog. Even if you don’t have a dog, a “beware of dog” sign on your property can be an effective deterrent.
Awareness is Key
The first principle for good home security is being aware of your surroundings. If you are aware of what’s going on around you, you’ll be able to spot any suspicious behaviour and alert the authorities if necessary. Make sure that all doors and windows are locked when you leave your house; keep an eye out for people loitering near your property; look out for cars that seem to be hanging around; avoid posting on social media when you are away from home; install a burglar alarm if possible; and make sure that all sheds and garages are securely locked up at all times.
Make it Difficult for an Offender
The second principle for good home security is making it difficult for an offender to gain entry or exit with your property. Invest in strong locks on all external doors, secure grilles over windows, motion activated lights outside, video doorbells at entrances, deadbolts on internal doors, and install safety bars over window frames if necessary. Additionally, trim back any shrubbery around windows or doors so that they cannot be used as hiding places by potential offenders. Finally, have a trusted neighbour keep an eye on your house if you plan to go away for an extended period of time.
Understand Typical Circumstances
Understanding typical circumstances which occur before a home is burgled can help prevent break-ins from occurring in the first place. An offender will usually act on easy or tempting opportunities such as leaving a door unlocked or having a window open even just slightly. Therefore it is important to make sure that all points of access into your house are well secured at all times.
Additionally, it may be useful to keep ladders stored away in locked sheds/garages because they could potentially provide access through upper story windows or roofs which could otherwise prove difficult to reach without assistance.
Although there is no guaranteed way to ensure 100% protection against burglaries it is possible to reduce the likelihood of them occurring by following these key principles: being aware of surroundings; making it difficult for offenders to gain entry; understanding typical circumstances which occur before a burglary; and investing in targeted security measures such as strong locks and video doorbells where appropriate. Taking these steps can provide peace of mind knowing that your property will remain safe from potential break ins at all times.