Potential Danger in Your Home Environment
HOME SECURITY
Many crimes committed in the home could be avoided with proper precautions. You need to systematically check all potentially vulnerable areas of your home environment on a daily basis.
Most of us would like to think crime won’t happen to us. And, naturally, it is impossible to predict where and when a crime will occur. But there is much you and your family can do to create a safer home environment.
Coming home to find your house or apartment has been robbed is bad enough. Being there when someone is trying to rob it, or interfering, can be much worse.
The following safety tips will help you become more aware of and responsible about home security, and are practices you can teach your children.
LOCKS
It is practically impossible to prevent a criminal from entering your house through an outside door if the criminal has the determination, skills and the time to do so. Remember, a criminal wants to spend the least amount of time and effort in the illegal act as possible. Making it difficult for him to enter is often enough to deter him and send him on his way to an easier target. Sometimes all you need is the proper type of door and window locks.
DOORS
Lock your doors at all times. Each door to your home should have a peephole or wide angle viewer. If you have a small child, place a step stool next to the door. This way your child can also see who is at the door before letting anyone in.
A solid wooden door or a hollow metal door snugly fit in its frame is most effective for safety, especially when secured with dead-bolt locks and double cylinder locks. A deadbolt is superior to most other locks because it cannot be forced open with a knife, spatula, or similar tool. If the dead-bolt is sufficiently long, 1½.! inches or more, the door becomes nearly impossible to pry open. Install a dead-lock on each outside door to supplement whatever locking devices you are presently using.
A double-cylinder lock is especially useful for doors with glass or wooden panels. This lock requires a key from both the outside and inside, thus preventing an intruder from reaching through broken glass or a broken panel to unlock the door from the inside. However, heed a word of caution about double-cylinder locks: In the event of a fire or a similar emergency, double-cylinder locks can delay occupants from exiting the house. Therefore, a key to the inside lock must always be readily at hand, and always within reach of your child.
WINDOWS
All windows of your home should have locks. Key locks work best. Further, you can use break-resistant glass to increase the security of your windows. Examine the windows in your home to determine how effective their locks are. If you find vulnerable windows, you may need special locks to secure your home. Check with a security specialist or with your local police department for helpful suggestions. An effective and simple way to secure your windows is to drill a slanted hole through the bottom window frame, or sash, halfway through the top frame (do not drill completely through the outside frame) and insert a metal pin or nail. This will prevent the window from being opened from the outside.
SLIDING GLASS DOORS
Sliding doors can be pried open easily unless you secure them. A steel rod or length of wood placed in the lower door track will prevent these doors from being opened. Also, a few screws drilled into the upper door track keep the door from being lifted off and out of its tracks by an intruder.
LIGHTING YOUR HOME
Denying a possible intruder the cover of darkness is a principal advantage of home lighting. A criminal is not likely to force his way into your home if his actions are highly visible. Most homes have lights positioned at their entrances. Turn many lights on, especially if your children will be home alone. Create the image of having many people home.
When you go to bed at night, do not turn off all the lights inside your house. Leave a front-room light on all night. If an intruder can see from the street that your exterior and interior lights are on, he will seek out a place that is poorly lit, rather than attempt to gain entry at the risk of being observed.
ALARMS
There are many home and business security systems available today. To decide what’s right for you determine the value of what you wish to protect. Before you purchase an alarm system make sure that your child is able to arm and disarm it. I suggest you shop around with your child, before making your choice. Remember, an alarm signals only when an intruder is entering or exiting your home. If your property is properly secured, the intruder may not be able to enter in the first place.
| THERE ARE THREE BASIC ALARMS SYSTEMS: | |
| 1. | Local: Designed to alert persons inside a home or office that someone is breaking in. These alarms generally frighten off intruders while alerting those present of possible danger. |
| 2. | Central or Remote: Designed to transmit signals to local police or security personnel. The police or security personnel win then investigate the alarm. |
| 3. | Proprietary: Designed to alarm a security force already in place within the location of the alarm. These systems are often used by warehouse or apartment complexes, providing security to property and residents. |
REPORTING
Many crimes could be prevented if people would phone the police at the first sign of suspicious activity. Time is important, so report the crime or activity immediately.
Provide the police with all pertinent information: the address of the suspicious activity, the nature of it, and a complete description of any suspects or vehicles used. If reporting a crime, remember to provide police with your name, address and phone number.
Your child needs to know that it is O.K. to tell on someone. Most young children are intimidated by older children or adults, and may feel that it is not their place to say anything. It’s your job as the parent to educate your children about safety. Role-play different situations with them. Thus they will come to feel secure in telling you of something suspicious, and they will have practiced what to do.
Remember that the information you provide to children needs to be simple and concrete. You need to foster a sense of trust and security in them, so they know they can always count on coming to you with anything.
STRANGERS
The following section is written so you can read it to your children and role-play scenarios with them. It is written in a tone they’ll relate to and understand. Explaining what you mean by “Stranger” is a good beginning to safety training. Children need to be advised (and often reminded) of the “Stranger-Danger” rule.
A stranger is someone you don’t know. It can be a man or a woman, and old or young person. He or she doesn’t have to look scary, ugly or mean. A stranger can be well-dressed, kind and very friendly. Anyone you haven’t seen before, or who has not been introduced to you by a reliable adult or your parents, is