6 Solutions to Protect Your Home and Family From Criminal Intrusion

You must have frequently heard this cliché by the St Lucian citizenry. “The criminals are one step ahead of the police.” Whether there is any merit to this, I bet you surely don’t want these criminals to be ahead of you in any way, when it comes to your home and family security.

There are still plenty of criminals interested in breaking into your home. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t make it tough for them! The first step in home crime prevention is to eliminate opportunity, and it’s up to you to cut those chances.

Though you only worry about nighttime security, most burglaries actually occur during daylight hours when you are at work, school, or running errands. It’s important to take precautions during the day, at night, and any time you leave the house to ensure your home stays secure.

When it comes to protecting your family and your belongings, you can’t be too careful, and at RCIP Ltd we offer plenty of ways you can protect your home from invasion or burglary. In order to help protect your belongings, your family, and your home, here is some expert advice.

Locksets

1 - Improve Door Security. It is very easy to kick in a solid door that has old hardware. With two kicks in only five seconds, a burglar can destroy the doorjamb and get into your home. A secure entry starts with a solid door and a Grade 1 or Grade 2 deadbolt with a solid 1-in. long throw bolt. Any exterior door that only has a lock in the doorknob isn’t secure. A sturdy screwdriver or small pry bar can quickly bow the doorjamb enough to release the latch.
Prevent break-ins by upgrading and strengthening your deadbolt and lock set - you need to upgrade the deadbolt and lock set plates of your exterior doors. 

Burglar-barred windows

2 - Reinforce windows with metal bars. It may seem an extreme step, but burglars will often break a small window in order to gain entry. Make it impossible for them to break through by installing safety glass or impossible to squeeze through by installing metal bars. There are plenty of decorative options for metal grills that can make the adjustment both practical and aesthetically pleasing.

3 – Internet Cameras. Remote video surveillance has come a long way from the old days of tiny black and white CCTV screens, long cables and high prices that put these products beyond the range of consumers and many smaller businesses.

Internet cameras have become accepted by the security industry. They can also be a good option if you’re away from your home and still need to monitor them. These days, a fairly capable standalone Internet security camera can be bought for anything from $75 upwards. 

Open chain-link fence

4 - Build a fence. If you don’t have one already, a fence can be an excellent way to keep unwanted visitors off your property.  Open chain-link or ornamental fencing tend to be preferable and are ideally secured into concrete to prevent lifting. Solid fences can be easier to climb and offer thieves a place to hide, though some homeowners prefer them for privacy and noise reduction. You can better secure them by having sharp pointed tops or, if you don’t mind rough barbed wire fencing.

5 - Consider buying a home security system. There are countless features with any security system, and some particularly valuable ones are outdoor motion detectors, sensors at exterior doors, windows, an outdoor alarm to alert other neighbors to an intrusion, and security cameras. Select the features that best fit your needs. Once it’s installed, make it a regular habit to use it. 

Motion sensor Light

6 - Install motion sensor lighting around your home, especially at entrances. Shine a spotlight on a potential intruder before he can even touch your doors or windows by adding extra lighting with motion detectors at entrances and especially dark corners of your home.
Motion sensor lights are an effective way to increase your home security without spending a fortune on sophisticated alarms and lighting systems.