(MENAFNEditorial)
A major component of family preparedness is the maintenance of comfort control and self-preservation in a time of crisis.
Whatever the source of the crisis we as humans want to protect the homestead and our loved ones at any cost. (And by the way many species on the animal kingdom do the same.) The reason I bring this topic to the forefront is that recently at a community meeting I learned that home burglaries in my area are on the rise.
This in a community where many still do not lock their doors was no surprise to me given the dire straits so many are in financially. And this isn’t localized.
As the financial crunch continues with no end in sight you can expect to see property crimes on the rise.
The meeting was a wake-up call reminding me that I need to do an inventory of the home security and crime prevention measures currently in place so that I can ensure that both my family and my preps are secure.
In doing so I came up with these 20 time-tested crime prevention secrets for preppers.
20 Countermeasures to Secure Your Homes and Families From Crime
There are lots of things we can do to make our homes seem uninviting to criminals.
The more difficult your property looks to breach the more likely it is that would-be thieves will select an easier target.
1. Secure your doors with multiple locking mechanisms
Secure your doors with multiple locking mechanismsYes it is an annoyance to carry multiple keys but why make it easy for the bad guys? A deadbolt is essential and even two would not be excessive. Make sure the locks are difficult to pick.
2. Reinforce your door frame
Remember that a lock is only as good as the strength of the door frame.
It doesn’t matter how many locks you have if they are only supported by a flimsy interior frame.
A strong person can generally break those down with a well-placed hit from a shoulder.
Invest in a high-quality metal frame. These are very difficult to breach.
3. Do not leave keys out
FC44HT6H4AGDC2F.LARGEEven if you think you’re being clever don’t leave keys under mats under flower pots on top or door frames or in one of those $3 magnetic key carriers that fit under the frame of your car.
Thieves know about these places and are more creative than you might think when it comes to locating a spare.
Here at my place we have secured a spare key in a coded key vault similar to the type real estate agents use. (And dare I say that I have lost my keys more than once on the trails and that having a spare has saved the day?)
4. Do not put your name and address on your key ring
If you lose your keys and who hasn’t why advertise your home location and provide easy entrance? You might as well put a sign on your front door that says “TAKE ME”.
5. Keep your outdoor areas well lit
This does not have to be costly. Even shaded areas will benefit from inexpensive solar lighting.
Put porch lights on a dawn to dusk timer and make sure your garage entrance is not shrouded in darkness.
Motion lights around doorways can be startling since they come on when a person walks up to the door.
6. Consider an alarm system
Consider an alarm systemI am not talking about an expensive monitored alarm system and as a matter of fact I think advertising that you have a monitored system whether it is true or not simply tells the world that you have lots of goodies that need protection.
When I say alarm system I am referring to a loud horn or blast that goes off when someone invades your territory.
This is especially effective if you have neighbors who will also hear the alarm but even in a more remote area the alarm will annoy and dissuade the burglars from sticking around.
These wireless motion sensors can be installed on doors to scare away a person trying to break in. Best of all they’re battery operated and will still work during a grid-down event.
7. Add internal locks to critical storage areas
This includes your emergency food storage area crawl spaces and your freezer.
Many people keep their freezers in the garage which can be one of the most vulnerable areas of your home since it is typically dark and remote sound-wise from the rest of the house.
8. Secure your mail
Secure your mailIn addition to minimizing identity theft an overflowing mail box is an open invitation to thieves who will assume you are not at home or traveling. Invest in a PO box – they are cheap.
9. Keep your outdoor areas tidy
Trim shrubs that are close to the house so that strangers can not skulk behind them waiting and watching for the best time to attack.
Make certain that the perimeter of your home is clear of hiding places.
Open spaces make it easier for the neighbors to see if someone is up to mischief too.
10. Notify the police or sheriff that you are going to be gone
This may not work in all situations but here in my rural community we are encouraged to let the authorities know when we are going to be off-island for an extended period.
11. Be wary of people who come to the door
071801_jehovah_witness_6_aehWhether they are strangers delivery people or even officers of the law if they are unexpected you need to be alert.
These are all common ruses that precede home invasions.
Have your pepper spray handy and ask for ID.
If in doubt do not open the door. Ask for a badge or ID number and call it in.
Remember uniforms can be readily purchased online and in these days of Photoshop fake IDs can be easily created on a home computer.
12. Add locks to your gates
maxresdefaultIf you lock your gate then you don’t have to worry about people showing up right at your door.
Plus you’ll be sure to be on high alert if there’s a knock at the door.
13. Know your neighbors
I have said this before and will say it again: neighbors and community members who know you by name and by face will be the ones that will watch your back in a crisis.
You do not have to become best friends with these people – but you do need to say hi once in awhile and perhaps get involved in some community activities so that they can get to know you and you them.
14. Get a dog
AmericanStaffordshireTerrier1A dog is a great really great early warning system.
Heck my little six pound Yorkie makes a lot of racket if a stranger is walking around outside at night.
He might not scare an intruder once he is in the house but he certainly would give the would-be burglar reason to look elsewhere.
Plus we would know that someone who should not be here is close by if not inside our home.
15. Landscape with inhospitable plants
Inhospitable doesn’t mean the plants aren’t beautiful.
Thorny plants like rugosa rosebushes bougainvillea or blackberry vines make it far more difficult to sneak around outside of windows or to climb fences.
16. Make arrangements to have your property looked after when you go away
e2f107670318c699_1130-w618-h411-b0-p0--beach-style-exteriorHave someone mow the grass when you will be gone for a week or longer and if you still have the newspaper delivered for goodness sake stop delivery while you are gone.
You can also put a light and a television on a timer so that it looks as though someone is home.
17. Secure sliding glass doors
Before bed each night block the track of sliding doors with a metal bar or a piece of wood.
Those locks are very easy to force.
18. Secure sidelights or doors with large windows
It’s a very simple thing for a thief to break out a small window then reach in and unlock your door from the inside.
Invest in some decorative metal grid work to make this more difficult.
19. Create a safe area to which you can retreat
In a worst case scenario if someone breaks into your home while you are there it’s important to have an area that you can run to until help arrives.
Reinforce a bedroom door with a good quality frame and replace the flimsy interior door with an exterior one.
Have a way to call for assistance inside the room and a method of self-defense like a firearm.
20. Zip those lips
zip-your-lipThis is my weakness and something I will commit to stopping RIGHT NOW! In my effort to spread the word about family preparedness I talk about my own efforts what I have how I am storing it and worst of all where I have located my stuff. Shame on me.
What I have effectively done is advertise the fact that if the SHTF you can come to my place because I have food I have water I have stuff.
This is going to be difficult because I do want to educate and help others. But I am going to really try to be a bit more private going forward.
Think Like a Burglar
I want to pass on that the very best advice I can give: LEARN TO THINK LIKE A BURGLAR!
Walk around your place and pretending you are a bad guy think about points of entry.
Take a look at your home from the street. Are you advertising all of the goodies inside? Or does your home look like a modest well-kept abode with good lighting and well trimmed landscaping? If you were a burglar which home on your street would you hit?
The Final Word
As you know a crisis can come from a natural disaster a medical pandemic an economic collapse civil unrest or a man-made activity such as a terrorist attack.
I call these “Disruptive Events”. By practicing crime prevention now and making home security a part of daily life you can be one step closer to preserving the homestead when the SHTF.
Source : http://survivallife.com/2015/10/28/home-security-crime-prevention/