› Forums › Neighbourhood Security › Lights, Camera, Action
Neil Robb. This post has been viewed 142 times1st September sees the autumn nights start to draw in, so please avoid making your home an easy target for burglars by taking these simple measures:
Lights…
Most burglaries are carried out by opportunists. If a burglar sees a home in darkness during the evening then it’s a fair bet there’s no-one in. Fit a simple timeswitch that comes on about 20 mins before it gets dark (so today that will be approaching 8.00pm), and goes off at around 11.00pm. A low-wattage LED bulb is enough to avoid your home standing out from the rest.
Cameras…
If you have CCTV cameras then the infra-red will come on as darkness falls, and many a good piece of evidential footage has been ruined by a spider’s web reflecting the infra-red back into the lens. Now is a good time to clean your cameras, and then check them regularly – also make sure that you check that you can play back and take down footage on your system and that the time is set correctly. CCTV and/or a video doorbell is a big deterrent to burglars, as they don’t know whether they have already been seen and the Police called.
Action!
Take general measures to protect your property: lift the handle on your PVC doors before locking; fit high quality door locks that are snap-, pick- and bump-proof; remember to close and lock windows when out; don’t leave ladders and other climbing aids such as wheelie bins near flat roofs or those of your neighbours; lock side gates, keep front hedges low, and protect any rear boundary; ask a neighbour to check your letterbox if you’re going away, and return the favour for them.
