Home Safety Tips

A good friend of mine was recently broken into and it made me very aware that I need to ensure that my home is as safe as possible or I could be next. It is a very uncomfortable experience to know that a stranger has raided through your home. I started to do some research on the matter and found some helpful information to help deter intruders. I also visit the City of Richmond to find out more information on how to make my home safer. They also have a helpful alert system which I signed up to. It is called block watch, they send you alerts for any incidents that occur in your neighbourhood. Ensuring that your home is safer requires simple changes; Just doing a few tittle things differently can make a difference, such as not posting vacation plans on social media, getting to know your neighbours or turning down your ringer for your phone when you are not home.

General Tips

• Use a high quality deadbolt with a 1 inch throw
• Get a 180 degree peep-hole viewer
• Add an anti-lift guard to sliding doors
• Take an inventory of your home and have photos for if you do have to file an insurance claim

House Owners

• Store values in your children’s room,a thieve is less likely to search a children’s dresser or closet
• The keypad for the alarm should not be visible from the outside. If they can see it from the outside they will know if it is set or not
• Install motion detector lights outside your home
• Always park your car in the garage with the garage door closed, if it is always closed it will be hard to tell the times you are home and when you are out
• Opt for a mail box as opposed to a mail slot; a mail slot weakens the integrity of the door
• Keep car keys by your bed, if a burglary is to occur, press the alarm button to deter an intruder
•  Always lock the door from the garage  to the main house

Condominium Owners

• Ensure that you only let people in the building that you know live in the building
• Know locations of all fire exits and stairwells in the building
• When entering the parking garage ensure that the garage door closes behind you, before going down the ramp
• Keep door locked at all times, even when you are home and be sure to use the peep-hole with all visitors
• If you live on a low floor, do not leave valuable items on display
• Let management know of any burnt out light bulbs in the building, a well lit area will deter theft

If you are curious about crime in the Richmond area check out the criminal activity map

Click here for the Home Security Check-list from the City of Richmond

Hope this tips are helpful and I would love to hear if you have your own tips or tricks to keep your families safe!