I know the feeling well. Some time after you leave the house, the bugs in your head start buzzing and asking questions. Did I turn off the gas? Is the electricity on somewhere? What did I do with the iron? Did I lock the door?
And these questions haunt you perfectly well into your commute. What happens when you go on vacation? These questions will soon be joined by the worry of what condition your residence will be in when you return. Have you been robbed? Has something been broken into your yard? Have you been burglarized?
Every holiday season, burglars are on alert. They tail their targets. Perhaps they hear a call that you are going on vacation. For example, you loudly confide in a friend at the store. Or they get information about your departure directly from the office where you reported your vacation. Or a paid informant breaks the news. Maybe they don\’t know anything about your vacation, either. It is only through regular monitoring that you notice that the lights in that person\’s apartment have not come on for several days in a row, that your car is suddenly not parked in front of the house, that the mailbox is getting fuller and fuller.
There are a number of signals a professional thief can register. The only thing that can stop them from robbing your home or apartment is your preparedness. Let thieves cut your budget
First, have a neighbor, friend, or family member regularly collect your mailbox while you are away. This is the first signal to potential thieves that no one will be in the building for an extended period of time.
In addition to traditional security devices such as security locks, blinds, and shutters, utilize other modern technology devices.
Install security cameras in visible locations. If you do not want to invest in a camera that can send images to your cell phone wherever you are, at least use a dummy camera. It will be hard to tell them apart if they are in view, and even the occasional red light that shines on them can unnerve thieves if their actions are not captured on film. This should trick the thief into deciding to continue the robbery.
