Common sense ways to avoid theft this holiday season

Thank you, Larry Ecker, of Mobile Lock and Safety, in Royal Oak, MI for these great holiday reminders.

The holiday season is a time when family and friends come together to spend time and engage in the time honored tradition of gift giving. For many of us it is the happiest and most fulfilling time of the year. Thieves however, have a different perspective on things. Opportunities abound for them this time of year to unlawfully enter your home and steal the gifts for which you have worked so hard this year.

Things to keep in mind this holiday season:

• Keep your Christmas tree and gifts away from windows or other easy entry points, otherwise you are inviting the quick “smash and grab” burglary.
• If you intend to be out of town, have a friend or trusted neighbor keep your property free of hand bills, flyers and debris, and have them bring in any mail or newspapers.
• Keep exterior lights on a timer. Leaving outdoor lights on 24 hours a day is a trigger to many would-be intruders that a home is unoccupied.
• Do NOT hide extra keys near entry doors. Most thieves know enough to look under door mats, flower boxes, barbeque lids, etc. Give the spare key to someone nearby that you trust.
• Most burglars like to take the path of least resistance, ie: entry through unsecured doors and windows. Keep all entry points including doors, windows, sliders and even doggie doors locked at all times.
• Mailboxes or other signs with family names on them give would-be thieves all they need to use directory assistance to retrieve your phone number to confirm that you are not at home.
• Personalized answering machine messages that reflect the fact that you are away for a period of time invite trouble from intruders.
• After a lucrative burglary, your chances of being targeted again soon thereafter are greatly increased. The knowledge of your newly replaced property can be irresistible to the professional burglar.
• Your home security can be strengthened by installing solid core doors, heavy duty locks, longer screws in the lock striker plates and door hinges, and installing secondary security devices on all accessible sliding windows. Wrought iron security doors should always have a thumb turn shield on the inside of the door to enhance that first line of defense against theft.