Home Security in East Hills: 10 Tips for a Safer Neighborhood

While crime is fortunately relatively absent from East Hills, we have had a couple of recent incidents that serve to emphasize the importance of home security.  The following are 10 tips to improve the safety and security of your home:

1. External Lighting : Ensure that you have adequate external lighting around your property, whether that is security lights that detect motion or the pole light at the front of your property, which should be on during darkness anyway.  Light deters theives and makes them seek out darker properties instead.

2. Leave a light on or set a timer to turn on a light in the evenings:  This is especially important if you are going to be away overnight. One of the biggest robbery deterrents is the illusion that someone is awake and home, so just leaving your light on at night can stop a potential burglary. Source: Spectrum AM

3. Install a dead bolt on your doors: Or install a locking pin if you have sliding exterior doors. Regardless of which, just locking your home can deter criminals. Source: Spectrum AM

4. Trim the height and width of shrubs: With the exception of thorny shrub barriers, overgrown shrubs that are easy to hide behind and can actually increase crime. The way to eliminate these hiding spots for criminals is to trim the height and width of shrubs around your home. Source: Spectrum AM

5. Don’t allow your mail or newspapers to pile up if you’re away from your house for several days: Arrange to have a neighbor collect your mail and pick up your newspapers while you’re gone, so your mail isn’t vulnerable to theft and your home doesn’t appear dormant. Source: Spectrum AM

6. Deter Package Thieves: Online shopping has its advantages, but deliveries on doorsteps may be a temptation for thieves. Consumer Reports suggests working with delivery companies on security, requesting a text when a delivery is made, requiring a signature, or simply asking that packages be left in a less-prominent location. Another option, according to Consumer Reports, is installing security cameras around your home to monitor activity. Source: AllState

7. Don’t leave a key under a door mat, flower pot, or other common hiding place: These are the first places burglars look when attempting to gain access to your home. Consider using an exterior lockbox, if you need your extra key in a reachable place. Source: Spectrum AM

8. Keep Valuables Hidden: If a passerby can see inside your home, and get an instant inventory of your valuables, then a criminal can, too, warns the Insurance Information Institute (III). The organization suggests rearranging your furnishings so they’re less visible from a door or street-side window. That also goes for garage openers and car keys, which, in many homes, frequently sit on a shelf or hang from a hook near an entry. Consumer Reports recommends storing these inside a cabinet or a drawer to keep them hidden from view. Source: AllState

9. Reinforce Entry Points: The III suggests having exterior doors that are either metal or solid wood, and are at least 1 3/4 inches thick. Windows can be protected with locks or burglar-resistant glass. If your home has sliding glass windows or doors, reinforce them with a metal bar, the III says. A security alarm is also helpful, of course. The III recommends one that rings an outside service when the system is breached. Source: AllState

10. Practice Safe Behaviors: Your personal habits can also play a role in home security. The Ill encourages homeowners to routinely lock doors and windows and arm the alarm system when exiting your home. If you’ll be gone awhile, the III suggests giving the appearance that your home is occupied: Leave blinds in their usual positions, make a plan to defer mail and other deliveries, and use light timers in various areas of the home (smart home devices can help with this task). Another tip from the III: Remove house keys when leaving keys with a parking attendant. That’s because tech-savvy thieves can duplicate your house key simply by taking a picture of it. Source: AllState

Many thanks.

The Board of the East Hills HOA

For all the latest news and information, don't forget to join the East Hills Home Owners Association Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EHHOA/