Safety Tips are needed to protect homes from robberies. Robberies with force at homes have skyrocketed in Spain during the last year. Continuing the upward trend of recent years. According to official data from the Ministry of the Interior. In 2015 there were 113,452 robberies with force in homes. Most of these robberies are concentrated in the Community of Madrid and especially in Madrid Capital. The city of Spain suffers more robberies with force at homes.
This upward trend is repeated in 2016, during the first months of the year robberies with force in Madrid have grown by 31.5%, as well as robberies with violence and intimidation that have increased by 9.6%.
More than 70% of robberies take place in single-family homes and chalets. But homes in height and neighborhood communities are not exempt from theft. Either by intrusions through garage doors and gates or through windows using the scale technique.
Home security is not only in the hands of state security forces and bodies and approved security companies, security is everyone’s responsibility. Through training, information and prevention, we can all contribute to reducing the statistics of theft in homes. With this objective, we present a series of tips that we can follow to protect our homes.
9 safety tips to protect my home
Although most burglaries in homes take place in our absence. On many occasions, our presence is not an impediment for intruders to assault our home. Robberies with violence and intimidation have increased in recent years, especially in single-family homes and chalets, the most vulnerable. We present a series of security tips with which we will reduce the chances of being robbed in our homes:
Increase security at the door
Most of the intrusions take place through the access door to the house. It is essential to have an armored door with at least two closing points and to avoid openings or gaps that make it possible to pry to force it.
Always lock the door
When we are going to be absent from our home for a long period of time, we make sure not to leave anything on, we turn off the water and close the door several turns of the key, but when we are only absent for a few minutes we forget to lock it … We naively think that if we go out to run an errand or visit a neighbor for a short period of time. They will not rob us and we do not lock the door. The intruders take advantage of to access our home easily because if the door is not locked. They can open it in a few seconds using the slip technique.
Protection to avoid the easy opening of the windows
If we live in single-family chalets or on the first floors of the building, it is imperative to have bars or similar security elements to prevent access through the windows, but if we live on high floors we should not think that we are safe either … In recent years we have seen how “spiderman” intruders climb to the highest floors of buildings. So we must protect our windows in all cases. We can protect them with closures that prevent their easy opening and if to open them they slide horizontally. We can use a bar or a wooden stick inside. Another homemade option to protect sash windows is to drill the frame and drive a long nail into the hole to serve as a stop.
Remember that the enemy may be at home
Before “opening” the doors of our houses to strangers from the domestic service (cleaning staff, babysitter …) it is essential to ask for references in addition to having all their personal data and a copy of the documentation. If we have provided them with the keys to the house and we have terminated the employment relationship. For security reasons, it is advisable to change the door bowler. We will also have to do it if former janitors, roommates, neighbors … have or have had the keys to our home.
Bet on a security system for your home
The most common security measures in homes are:
- Armored doors
- Bars
- Alarms
- Surveillance cameras
The latest generation alarms are immune to frequency inhibitors, sabotage, power outages, etc. Despite the fact that video surveillance is becoming more and more widespread in homes. Alarms are still the most effective security solution for private homes.
If we do not want to pay monthly fees for our alarm system connected to the Alarm Receiving Center. There is the possibility of opting for an alarm without fees that will notify owners in case of intrusion through their mobile phone. An effective and very economical security solution.
Never open to strangers
If we do not previously wait for the visit of a salesperson, technician, etc. It is not advisable to open the door to any stranger, regardless of whether they are in uniform and/or accredited. When committing robberies or scams, criminals pose as salespeople or technicians from electricity, gas, or telecommunications companies to gain access to homes.
Illuminate the perimeter and entrances to the house well
Especially in single-family homes and chalets, it is important to have well-lit entrances to the house and the perimeter, these measures are very effective in deterring intruders. To prevent electricity consumption from skyrocketing. We can opt for reflectors and solar torches for the garden and spotlights with motion detection for the entrances.
Remember that the police are here to help you
If you see strangers in a suspicious attitude or find signs in your home that indicate the risk of assault, call 112 immediately. Citizen collaboration is essential in crime prevention.
Avoid making robbing your home profitable
Home burglars, like all “professionals”, choose their targets taking into account the “profitability-risk” binomial. If robbing the home is risky (protected access, security measures …) and the loot is small, they will discard it. On the contrary, if they know that the loot is attractive (cash, jewelry, electronic devices …) they will risk getting it.
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