Holiday Safety Tips – Keep Your Home and Family Safe

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Safety Tips for the Holiday Season

We believe the holiday season should be one of joy. Whether you’re staying home or traveling this year, this article provides a list of holiday safety tips for keeping your home safe during the holidays.

Home Safety

Many burglars prefer to break in through an unlocked door or window. Make sure all of your doors are locked and deadbolted. Also, remember to secure all of your windows, including those upstairs. In addition, be sure to cut tree limbs to reduce the chance of easy entry.

In more extreme burglary situations, intruders may try to kick in the door. Consider investing in a steel door, a reinforced door, or adding additional deadbolts.

Keep your heat set at 55 degrees or higher to ensure your pipes don’t freeze and cause flooding. Keeping your home safe doesn’t only mean keeping it safe from burglars. Natural disasters could be even more costly.

Also, ensure you have a first aid kit and other supplies in an emergency.

Burglar Alarms and Home Automation

Test your alarm system to make sure it works. To do this, contact your monitoring company and let them know you want to do a test. Then, you’ll set off the alarm and let it sound for at least a minute. The alarm company will determine if they are getting the proper signal. If yes, then your alarm is working correctly. If not, have them come out and determine what is wrong.

Use automatic timers to operate interior lights and outdoor timers to operate your exterior holiday lights.

Ask Neighbors for Help

Ask a trusted neighbor to monitor your home while you’re away. Have them watch for anyone on your property and call the police if necessary. Also, be sure to have your mail, newspapers, and deliveries stopped or picked up by a neighbor, friend, or relative. When the mail and newspapers are piled up at your front door, it is a clear sign that you are away.

If you don’t have a neighbor to help, have your landscaper remove the snow from walkways and driveways while you’re away. This helps make it look like someone is at home.

As an alternative, leave a car parked in your driveway.

Don’t Post on Social Media

Essentially, posting on social media lets people know you will be out of town. Nothing is more inviting to a burglar than knowing precisely when and how long you’ll be out of town. Do not post public messages on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media site until you return.

What Do Burglars Usually Steal?

Once inside your home, thieves will generally look for easy-to-remove valuables such as:

  • Electronic equipment includes laptops, computers, tablets, phones, stereos, etc.
  • Jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, etc.
  • Cash, coins, savings bonds, etc.
  • Credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, etc.
  • Weapons such as guns, pistols, rifles, knives

Most burglars start by searching for the master bedroom because that is where most people tend to keep their valuables. They then move to other areas of the house as time permits.

Ideas for Concealing Your Valuables

Other important holiday safety tips include keeping your valuables from being stolen. The traditional method of concealing your valuables is to keep them in a safe. A safe place is great, but it must be too heavy for the delinquents to remove from your home. If the safe is small enough to carry, they won’t waste time trying to gain access while in your home. They will pick it up, carry it with them, and figure out how to bust it open later.

A thief who enters a home is generally looking for a quick grab. They want to get in and get out before the police arrive. But, if they manage to get in without setting off an alarm, they aren’t any barking dogs, and no neighbors are watching. They may have plenty of time to look around inside your home. Anything that is left out in the open will be an easy steal.

So, to keep your valuables safe, you’ll need to out-think the bad guys. Consider putting valuable items in inconspicuous places such as the freezer, the fish tank, the toilet tank, the pantry, and other areas.

You may also consider purchasing hidden safes, also known as diversion safes. Hidden safes look like everyday products such as shampoo or shaving creme dispensers, soda cans, and tissue boxes (the possibilities are endless). Still, there are safety storage containers with room to hide your valuables. We think these are a good idea, but steer clear of cheesy or fake-looking products that might give your secret away.

Beware of “Casing”

Another holiday safety tip is to be aware of the casing. Some would-be burglars will conduct surveillance on your home before they burglarize. One trick they like to pull is to visit your home and ask for some random person, act like they are selling something, or conduct a survey. This is called casing. It gives them a chance to determine who lives in the home, whether or not they have pets, their schedule, etc.

They may also try associating the car in the driveway with the person who answers the door. That way, they know when that person is not at home. Also, they may take note if you have children or not, so they know when they are in school.

In addition, they will take the opportunity to assess your home and the type of car you drive. In addition, they will peek at the furnishings they see in the house as you open the door. Also, they will notice the jewelry, clothes you are wearing, etc. These things will tell them if you have enough money to make breaking and entering worthwhile.

What Deters Burglars and Thieves

  • Home security systems with signs posted in the yard and stickers on windows
  • Visible security cameras
  • Bars on the windows and doors
  • A car parked in the driveway
  • Lights, preferably with TVs and radios on. Thieves know that most people leave on lights when they leave their homes, so leaving the front porch light and a few inside lights may not deter a criminal. However, TVs and radios will make them think twice and move to the next house.
  • A well-populated neighborhood with a lot of neighbors watching. In addition, it is vital to have your house visible to others, so ensure you trim your trees and bushes, which minimizes places for thugs to conceal their movements.
  • Pets, especially barking dogs. Large-breed dogs are the best. Not only do dogs pose a physical danger to the intruder, but their barking could also draw the attention of neighbors.

View a list of the best home security systems at Amazon.com.

What To Do If Your Home Is Burglarized

Having your home burglarized is a very traumatic experience for anyone. You may not be thinking clearly in the aftermath of the home invasion. Here are a few recommendations for what you should do following a break-in:

  • It would be best to determine whether the person(s) is still in your home. If there is any doubt as to whether your home is not safe, get yourself and your family out there. Go to a neighbor’s house, or get in the car and drive away to a safe location.
  • Call the police immediately. Tell them your home has been burglarized and you need the police to be dispatched immediately. Provide the dispatcher with your address and any other relevant information that might be helpful for her to relay to the responding officer.
  • Call or respond to your alarm monitoring company if an alarm is set off. They can dispatch law enforcement to your location if necessary.
  • Don’t touch anything in the house. Leave everything as-is for the police to inspect. After the police have evaluated the situation and completed their report, taking photos of everything for insurance would be a good idea.
  • Sometimes, the police may dust for fingerprints to see if they match any prints.
  • Contact your neighbors and let them know what happened. Their house may be next, so they must be on the lookout.

Those who are interested in breaking the law are getting smarter every day. So, you’ll have to think as they do to stay ahead. Use these tips to keep yourself, your family, and your home safe during the holidays and throughout the year.

If you have any additional tips for keeping Your home safe, please comment below, and we’ll add them to the list.

Learn about other types of self-defense equipment and devices.

List of Holiday Safety Tips for Shopping

Following is a helpful list of holiday shopping safety tips to help keep yourself, your possessions, and your family safe during the holidays.

While the holidays allow us to enjoy festivities with family and friends, they pose a more significant opportunity for increased crime-related activities. Law enforcement statistics show an increase in theft this time of year as more and more people flock to malls and shopping centers searching for gifts and other needs. Even the least professional thief, who may or may not have an arrest record, knows how to spot a potential theft target in a shopping arena. 

Customers who understand what a thief looks for and practice preventive measures stand the best chance of thwarting a robbery attempt or possibly other harm.

If at all possible, do your shopping during daylight hours. Law enforcement experts say that theft and other crimes are less likely to occur during daylight hours.

Go shopping with a friend or family member. Try to stay together during your entire shopping excursion and not get separated. Criminals and thieves are more likely to steal from or attack people who are alone. There is safety in numbers. If you must go shopping alone, be sure to always let a family member or friend know where you are.

Dress comfortably. Avoid wearing expensive or flashy jewelry. Thieves are more likely to steal what they can see.

Leave your purse or wallet at home and carry only the necessary items if possible. Carry only your driver’s license, other forms of personal I.D., and any essential cash and credit cards you need to purchase.

Keep your cash in a front pocket or a jacket’s zipped pocket. This is also a secure place to carry your credit cards. It is easier for pickpockets and thieves to steal something from your back pockets.

If you must carry a purse or wallet, remain vigilant and aware of your surroundings. Criminals target unattended purses in shopping carts, both inside the store and while loading your items in your car.

Always remain alert regarding the people around you and your surroundings. If you think someone is watching and/or following you (or you have reason to believe someone else may be targeted, such as an elderly or disabled person), alert security personnel immediately. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Keep your cell phone in a handy pocket but do not distract yourself or allow others to distract you with texting, talking, or other things that interfere with keeping your focus. Talking on your phone while walking to your car opens the door for a thief to grab your cell phone, purse, or packages. Carry your cell phone for emergency purposes only.

Keep a heavy quilt or tarp in your vehicle to cover your newly purchased items, or lock them in your trunk. Locking items in your trunks keeps them out of view. Thieves target cars where things are within plain view and can be easily grabbed. In most cases, breaking into a car’s trunk is not easy and will be bypassed by criminals.

Be aware of strangers approaching you for any reason. Con artists employ various methods to distract you in attempts to take your money or belongings. While not everyone approaching you is a thief, it pays to be suspicious and prepared for the unexpected.

Don’t post your location status on social media. While this might let friends and family members know where you are, it also lets potential thieves know that you aren’t home. This is the perfect opportunity to break into your home and steal belongings.

If you should become an unfortunate victim of theft during your holiday shopping, try to remain calm and contact your local law enforcement immediately. If you are inside a mall or department store, or if the incident occurs in the parking lot, notify mall security and/or management.

When talking to management or the police officer, give an accurate account of the crime, including:

  • Give a thorough description of the person (or persons) who committed the theft. Try to be as thorough as possible. Give details on their sex, approximate height and weight, skin color, hair color, eye color, and clothing. Mention any special features you may have noticed, such as scars, tattoos, accents, etc.
  • Note the time the crime occurred (to the best of your knowledge).
  • Explain where you were when it occurred and when you discovered missing items (if you were not accosted in person).
  • Explain the items that were stolen.

The more accurate information you can give, the greater the chances police can find and arrest the criminal(s) and possibly retrieve your things. If items were stolen from you, learn how to search for stolen items in the FBI Stolen Articles File.

Questions and Comments

If you have any questions about this list of holiday shopping safety tips, keeping your home safe, or suggestions for the list, please leave a comment below. See also a list of tips for Halloween safety.

1 COMMENT

  1. I’m thankful you mentioned that security systems ward off intruders. My wife wants to keep our home safe. I’ll be sure to send your article to her to help us out in keeping our home safe.

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