It was a hard lesson to learn.
It was a Saturday night, around 10:45 pm. I returned home from a night out with friends and life was good -- that was, until I walked through my front door. I could tell something was amiss the moment I stepped inside. Things were slightly out of place. The lid on one of my little decorative boxes was askew. A door was ajar. My dog Lillie was jumpy.
Feeling uneasy, I poked my head into the living room and saw nothing unusual there. Whew! Then, I made my way upstairs. What I found took my breath away. My bedroom and spare room were completely torn apart - clothes and personal effects strewn everywhere, drawers yanked open and hanging cockeyed from their openings, the contents of my closets emptied in the middle of the room. The lampshade was even crooked. It resembled a "trashed room" from a movie set!
Hands trembling, I called 911. They told me to get out of the house immediately, cautioning that the burglar might still be present. Oh, goodness! I hadn't thought of that. I grabbed my cell phone, left the house, and waited in my car (doors locked) for the police to arrive. At the same time, I called a friend and asked him to come over.
Needless to say, that experience was a wake-up call for me and I started to pay closer attention to my safety and security at home. I talked with safety advisors (police, insurance consultants, and other reliable sources) and made some important changes at home and the way I go about my life. I put into practice what I learned, and encourage you to take the following precautions to protect yourself and your property.
If you're going out for the evening:
- Make it look (and sound) as if you're still at home. Leave the TV on and use automatic timers on lights. These timers also work great for radios.
- Turn on interior and exterior lights. Light is your friend, and the enemy of those with misguided intensions.
- Lock all doors and windows. You'd be amazed how many people don't do this!
- Keep your purse, wallet, money, jewelry and other valuables out of site and definitely not in view from a window.
If you're going away for an extended period of time:
- Again, make it look (and sound) as if you're still at home with the help of automatic timers on lights and radios.
- Rather than hiding a spare key outside your home, give that spare key to a neighbor you trust. And, let this same trusted neighbor know when you are going out of town.
- Stop mail and newspaper delivery or, better, have a neighbor or friend pick up your mail and newspaper. Having someone you trust making daily visits to your home when you're not there offers added protection.
- Make arrangements to have your grass mowed or snow shoveled depending on the time of year.
- To be extra cautious, make a call to your local police and ask that they keep an eye on your home.
Long-term investments in home security:
- Consult a good locksmith and install good quality deadbolts and other locking systems on your doors and windows. I did this after my break-in and feel much more secure.
- Eliminate hiding places outside your home. Cut back bushes and shrubs, especially those that hide windows. You don't want to give a burglar a place to hide while he or she is jimmying your window!
- Install motion detector lights outside, instead of leaving lights on all night.
- Consider installing a security alarm system, especially one with a loud alarm and flashing lights that will attract immediate attention. The little sign on your front and back door that says, "This property protected by (fill in your own security system provider here)" may deter a break-in all by itself. This little sign and the security system behind it make your home less convenient and attractive to an aspiring burglar. It's worth looking into.
- Weigh the pros and cons of owing a gun. Thanks to the Second Amendment of the Constitution, you have the right to own a gun if you want one. My advice is that if you want a gun, take the time to learn how to use it. The National Rifle Association offers courses in many parts of the country: www.nar.com.
While there aren't any guarantees, using common sense and some simple precautions can reduce your risks of a break-in, resulting in theft, property damage or worse. Let's face it, crime is a part of life, and men and women living alone need to take precautions - extra precautions - because we are on our own and may be more vulnerable as a result. So, be safe not sorry!