Master Scott Homschek, owner and chief instructor of River Valley Tang Soo Do Academy in Ambridge, offers these tips to help keep your family safe:
Man's Best Friend Can Be a Burglar's Worst Nightmare!A very effective early warning and deterrent system is a dog. Dogs have much better hearing than humans and usually bark when they hear strange noises outside. A dog can alert you that someone unfamiliar is outside, before you would know they were there. Be sure to choose a dog that is appropriate to your life style and available space. Large dogs, while more intimidating to intruders, will not necessarily work well in small apartments or homes without yards.
Pay Attention to Landscaping!
The next time you are outside, look at the types of bushes and hedges you have planted in front of your windows. Bushes and hedges that reach above the bottom edge of your window can provide cover for someone trying to break into your home. Keep bushes and hedges trimmed back, or if you must have tall bushes and hedges close to your home, consider planting bushes or hedges that contain thorns or sharp leaves. This will help to deter would-be burglars.
Check Your Detectors
Do you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home? Have you replaced the batteries in these alarms recently? Do you know that there are two types of smoke detectors--one that senses flames and one that senses smoke? Having both types of alarms raises the level of protection you have. If you do not have smoke, flame and carbon monoxide detectors in your home, you are risking the safety and security of yourself and your loved ones. And please remember that these devices are only useful if they have sufficient power to do their job. Test detectors monthly and replace the batteries twice a year.
Nobody's Home?
One of the signs a burglar looks for when picking a home to rob is the presence of excess mail and newspapers. This is a sure signal that the residents are out of town and unlikely to realize they have been robbed until long after the thief is gone. When you are away from home for an extended period, have your mail and newspaper deliveries stopped. If you will only be gone for a day or two, ask a neighbor or relative to stop by and bring your paper and mail inside.
Personal Space
How well do you understand your own personal space? How close will you allow someone to get before you begin to feel uncomfortable? Regardless of the person you are dealing with, follow your instincts. When you begin to feel uncomfortable with another person’s presence, immediately put some space between you and them. Do not think you are being silly; safe is better than sorry and now is better than too late.
Fire Safety
When you go into an unfamiliar building or room, take some time to scan the location for the number of windows, doors and fire extinguishers. In the event of a fire, this information can help you to quickly exit or to put a fire out while it is still small.
Motion Detectors
Consider investing in motion detectors for outside lights. Motion detectors allow you to shine light on otherwise dark areas whenever someone approaches your home. Motion detectors also help to conserve energy by not leaving lights on all the time. A good plan is to use permanent lighting in front of your home and to have motion detectors connected to flood lights on the sides and back of your home that do not normally see pedestrian activity. When a light comes on, it tends to attract your attention much better than a light that is constantly on. Motion detectors can help alert you and your neighbors to a potential intruder.
Car Safety II
When your are getting ready to enter your car have your keys ready. If you have to fumble through a purse, coat or pockets for your keys, you are giving an attacker more time to commit their crime. Do not try to open a car door or trunk with your arms loaded down with packages. Set the packages on the hood or trunk lid or leave them in the cart when opening the door or trunk. This will allow you quicker access to your vehicle and also leave you free to run away from or fight off an attacker if needed.
Sliding Doors
Do you have sliding doors or horizontal sliding windows? These are an easy entry point for an intruder. Many of these types of doors and windows can easily be removed from their tracks by pushing up on them from the outside. To prevent an intruder from doing this, open the door or window and put two or three screws into the upper track where the door or window rests when closed. Do not drive these screws all the way in; instead leave them sticking out enough so that if an intruder lifts up on the door or window, the screws will prevent the door or window from lifting out of is track. House Entrance Check
In your own home, do you know how many ground level entrances there are? Remember, every window and every door can be a means for someone else to get in or for you to escape. If you know where people can come in, you can take measures to make these areas more secure. In the event of fire or an armed intruder, you need to know the quickest and safest way to get out and call for help. Please take the time to educate yourself and your loved ones.
Car Safety
When you approach your car, take a little extra time to look for people in the immediate area of your car. Also take the time to look under your car from a distance and inside your car before getting in. If there is anything out of the ordinary, or something just doesn't feel right--leave the area immediately and only return escorted by a store manager, security guard, or police officer. Safe is far better than sorry.
Inspect Your Locks
Inspect the locking mechanism on all doors. Does every ground-level door have a dead-bolt? Does the dead bolt extend all the way through the door frame and into the studs holding the frame in place? Do the locks and deadbolts have a tamper-resistant plate on the outside of the door to prevent an intruder from prying the door or lock open? Remember that the strength of a door is only as good as the strength of its anchor points. If the locking mechanism is weak, an intruder can quickly and easily penetrate the security of your home.
Lock Your Doors
When you first get into your car, and before you leave your car, be sure to lock the doors. You want to keep all your doors locked while driving to prevent someone from getting into your car when you stop at a street light or stop sign. When you leave your car, you want to make sure that a criminal does not have an easy means of getting into your car to steal it, or to hide inside and wait until you return. Keep your car doors locked at all times!
Well-lit Homes
At night, look outside your house and also look at your neighbors' homes. Do you see well-lit homes that are difficult to approach without being seen, or do you see poorly-lit homes that can be approached without drawing the attention of the residents or their neighbors? Intruders like the second type of home. To deter a would-be intruder, be sure that your driveway and home are well lit so that people coming and going can easily be seen from inside your home and by your neighbors. Make your home difficult for intruders to approach without being seen.
Stranger Danger
Do not put your child's name on the outside of their jackets, book bags or other belongings. A predator will use your child's name to make your child think that they are a friend. Names should be written inside of coats, books, bags and other possesions. And always remind your children NOT to talk to strangers. Helping your children to understand their safety will help you to feel more at ease when they are not under your direct care.
Inspect Your Front Door
Please take the time right now to inspect the hinges on all the doors leading to the outside of your home. Use a screw driver to remove one of the screws from the hinge where it screws into the door frame. If this screw is not at least 3-4" long then your door is only being held in place by the door frame. A longer screw will not only hold the door in the correct position, it will anchor the door to the studs used to hold up the walls to your house. Remember that the strength of a door is only as good as the strength of its anchor points.
“Ask for ID”
In addition to protecting yourself and your family from a physical attack, it is important to also protect your family from financial attack. More and more we hear about identify theft of credit card information. A simple step that you can take to help protect your identity is to use a permanent marker to write on the front and back of your credit card “Ask for ID.” There is a minor inconvenience at the store when you have to show your ID when you give them your card, but this is very minor compared to the time and aggravation your will go through if your card information is stolen, and you have to straighten out the mess. Finally, be sure to thank the store clerk for asking for your ID; by asking for your ID, they are helping to protect your identity and the financial safety of your family.
Street Smarts
If it is necessary for you to walk in town, alone or in a group, be sure to leave some space between you and the opening to an alley or doorway. An attacker can quickly pull you into an alley without other people seeing. Putting some distance between you and a potential hiding place for an attacker can help to keep you from being the target of a predator.
When You're Not Home . . .
Timers hook up to your lights and other electronic appliances can give the illusion that you are home. These inexpensive easy to install devices can help deter a burglar by causing them to think if someone is home or not. Burglars do not want to come face-to-face with a homeowner--they prefer to commit their crimes un-seen and un-heard. If they think someone is in a home, chances are they will move on to an easier target.
Jogging Distractions
Turn it down or take them off!! When you are out jogging, you become an easy target if you have headphones or ear buds attached to your music player. Music helps to get you into “the zone” while exercising – but if it is too loud and you can not hear what is happening around you, you may be putting yourself into a predator's zone. Jogging without the music is safest, however, if you feel you must have some music, turn it down to low or only put one ear bud in. It is not just potential predators that should concern you – being able to hear traffic coming from all directions is also critically important to your personal safety.
Pin Kits
To provide extra security for windows consider putting pins into sliding windows. These pins go through frame of the sliding portion of your window and into the frame of the stationary portion of your window. This makes it difficult, but not impossible, for an intruder to open your windows from the outside. Pins kits are usually available in the lock section of most hardware stores and are relatively easy to install.
I.C.E. (In Case of Emergency)
In your cell phone, put a series of phone numbers under the labels I.C.E.#1, I.C.E.#2, etc… These are the phone numbers that an emergency responder can call if they arrive to an accident scene and you are unconscious. Many phones even have an I.C.E. button built in. Another option is an I.C.E. sticker on the back of your phone. For more info on I.C.E. stickers, go to http://www.icesticker.com/.
Security System Smarts
A professionally installed security system can provide your home with a good first line of protection against unwanted intruders. Most security systems utilize a code to disarm the system. Be sure that you limit the number of people who have access to the code and change the security code on a regular basis. A good system should notify residents in the home and police that a break-in has occurred. Be sure your system contacts police in the event that the power or phone lines are cut. Contact a professional alarm installer for more information about the options available in security systems.
