Sort out security before the holidays
Time is running out to get your home and/or business properly secured before winding down for the holidays. As there was an increase in all categories of robbery over the 2013/2014 SAPS reporting period, it’s a good idea to get this done as quickly as possible. In this way, you may avoid becoming part of those awful stats. Use our short list of ideas as a starting point.
TRELLIDOR’S SHORTLIST OF TIPS TO SECURE HOMES AND BUSINESSES
There are literally hundreds of tips we could offer to secure homes as well as offices. But we’ve narrowed it down to a few broad essentials for the festive season.
If you need more ideas on how to improve your safety, contact your local Trellidor franchise for a free consultation and expert advice.
Here are a few important holiday season tips to get you started:
- Secure all doors and windows. If you leave any opening unsecured you’re leaving an access point for robbers to exploit without too much effort. Contact your nearest Trellidor franchise for help in securing the building properly. And get your security barrier orders in as quickly as you can to avoid having to wait until January for installation.
- Stay disciplined about locking up over the holidays. Close and lock your security barriers when you go to bed at night. Or lock up your offices before you go away. Remember to set the alarm every time you leave the premises even if it’s just for a short while.
- Keep up the impression that your building is occupied. Ask a trusted person to visit randomly and switch lights on and off. Or install timers on lights. Arrange for someone to mow the lawn and clear the post box regularly. Don’t forget to cancel any regular deliveries for the holiday period.
- Do an inventory of keys, portable gate controls and the alarm code. This applies to homes and businesses. Change the locks, remote control frequencies and the alarm code if you’re uncertain who has access to the building. Do the same if anyone in your employ has been dismissed recently.
- Don’t advertise new purchases. Packaging left on the verge or outside a building lets robbers know that the premises are worth breaking into. Avoid becoming a target by disposing of the packaging at the nearest legal recycling dump or packing it properly into rubbish bags and bins.
- Have some way of identifying stolen goods. Use your cell phone to take photos of computers, jewellery and anything else portable. This includes any serial numbers so that you have evidence that these are your possessions if they’re stolen. You could also try marking items with an ultraviolet pen or microdots. Photo evidence, by the way, also helps to identify lost luggage if you’re lucky enough to be flying to your holiday destination.
Take a look at some lovely Trellidor security barrier installations to get ideas for securing your home and/or business before going away. Seeing products fitted to real homes and offices helps you choose the best barriers for your own buildings.
