Quick guide to why you need to pay attention to home security
Aussies are, on the whole, a trusting lot. We seem to easily fall into the mindset of 'she'll be right' or 'it won't happen to me'. While this is great for a stress-free life, when it comes to home security we could learn to be a bit more cautious.
Before bringing in the guard dogs and razor wire there are a few points to be aware of which can make the world of difference to the security of your home without a major investment.
Sneak break-ins
These are break-ins which occur when residents are at home but have failed to adequately secure some areas of their house or apartment. Thieves can take advantage of front doors or windows which may have been left unlocked or open to allow a breeze to cool the house on a hot day.
Help prevent your home from sneak breaks by ensuring you lock up the front of the house if you're having a bbq in the backyard. The same goes for the back or upper floors when you're not using them as well.
Opportunity
Here's a hypothetical, yet plausible, scenario - You've left the car in the driveway unlocked with the keys in the ignition so you can listen to the radio while you give it the weekly (or monthly) clean out and the phone rings or the kids need help inside the house. You've only stepped away for a minute or two but this is plenty of time for an opportunistic thief to go to work.
Err on the side of caution and take the keys with you or get into the habit of locking doors to leave thieves with few opportunities around your home
Frequent false alarms get ignored
If you've fitted your home out with an alarm system with all the bells and whistles to help protect your family and safeguard your property. Excellent work.
However, if the security system is plagued with constant false alarms neighbours will be inclined to discount all alarms as false which means if there is an actual break-in no one will investigate or call the authorities.
Make sure you fix any issues quickly and let your neighbours know you've had repairs done so all alarms are treated as break-ins by those in the area.
In short, don't make it easy for thieves to get into your home unnoticed. Even a small deterrent like a locked window or an attentive neighbour can make all the difference.