5 Home Safety Tips for Concerned Families

With crime rates soaring in many areas of the country, today’s families are more concerned than ever before. Not only are their belongings in jeopardy of being stolen or vandalized but the most valuable concern of all is their children being in danger even when mom and dad are home. To choose and install the right lock is very important for home safety. If you are worried about the safety of your home and family, here are some home safety tips that can help everything and everyone (including the pets!) stay safe.

1. Install a Home Security and Alarm System

Perhaps one of the best investments you will ever make is to find the right security and alarm systems for your home. There are companies in your local area that are familiar with your neighbourhood and most likely know the kind of system you’d need for ultimate protection. Whether you need a monitored alarm system that you can monitor remotely or one that triggers an alarm if anyone tries to enter your home or property, there is a system well-suited for the types of criminal behaviour most prevalent in your area.

2. Monitor Online Behavior

This is one of the biggest problems facing today’s families, especially those with teens. It’s really difficult to impress on kids that the person they are ‘chatting with’ on the other end of cyberspace may not really be a 15-year-old girl (or boy) at all! It may be a child predator or even thieves seeking information about when the family is most likely to be away. Whether you get keylogging software to see where they’ve browsed or simply set up your computers so they can’t access some social sites, it’s your job as a parent to ensure their safety. No, you are not spying on them, so make that clear! You will not be reading messages from known friends, but you will be reading texts and messages from strangers.

3. Someone Is Always at Home

It’s unrealistic to believe that you can always keep someone at home. Unless you are Bill Gates, Warren Buffet or Donald Trump, you probably don’t have the financial wherewithal to hire full-time live-in housekeepers, security teams and staff. So, how do you give the appearance of someone always being on the premises? Some families actually tape family conversations and have them looped to play over and over for the duration of time they will be away. Tape the family at dinner, as a long, 45-minute conversation won’t be as evident when repeated. Also, keep lights on, the television or stereo playing and, if you are going to be away for days, suspend mail, trash collection and newspapers until you are home.

4. Buddy Up with Neighbours

Over time, you’ve probably gotten friendly with one or more of your neighbours. It’s smart to buddy up with them for those times you will be away from home. Have them watch your home and, if they spot anything suspicious, have them call the police immediately. In return, you will extend the same courtesy to them when they go on vacation. However, do ask them not to personally check out any suspicious people, their own safety could be at risk. Give them your alarm monitoring company’s number and list them as someone who is allowed to communicate with them in your absence. Now they have multiple choices – they can call 911, your alarm company, or both!

5. Visible Signs to Post

Some families post visible signs such as being members of the NRA (National Rifle Association) or that their property is monitored by the company they’ve chosen to contract with. Other families have guard dogs like German Shepherds or Pit Bulls, and they visibly post that the property is guarded by dogs. In fact, if you have dogs, many state and local governments require you to post their presence.

An Important Bonus

Finally, as a bonus, you should remember to download monitoring software to your mobile devices if that isn’t provided by your home security provider. You can get inexpensive webcams (or nanny cams) and then personally monitor your property and the interior of your home while you are away. Having said this, most alarm and security providers do offer this service, but if this isn’t part of your package, you can easily and inexpensively do this yourself. Keeping your property and family safe is one of the biggest duties you will encounter in life, and these home safety tips should point you in the right direction.