Keeping Safe

KEEPING SAFE

HOME SECURITY ADVICE

SOME EASY TO FOLLOW TIPS TO KEEP YOU SAFE

• Secure windows with burglar proofing.

• Secure doors with security gates.

• Do not leave windows open when you are not at home or sleeping.

• Install good quality locks.

• Ensure good access control to your home (gates, peepholes or intercom systems).

• Do not leave keys in the garden, under the mat or on a ledge.

• Do not label keys with your address or contact details.

• Do not give duplicate keys to domestic workers, contractors or strangers.

• Do not leave keys in the lock or within easy reach of a window.

• Make friends with your neighbours and exercise good neighbourliness.

• Keep a clean and organised yard. Ensure that tools such as axes, spades, picks and ladders that can be used to gain access to your house are locked away when you're not using them.

• Make use of local security service providers and use technology such as panic buttons, beams and sensors, and camera systems.

• Never allow strangers into your home; always confirm their legitimacy.

• Ensure that the home is well lit with security lighting. Adequate lighting around the perimeter of your house acts as a good deterrent. These lights must be directed away from the house and must allow the occupants to use the windows without being observed from the outside. Be aware of possible shadows and blind spots.

• Trim shrubs around windows and entrances so that they cannot conceal intruders.

• When you leave your home at night, leave interior lights on so that your house looks occupied.

• If living in a complex, don’t open gates or entrance/foyer doors to strangers, and prevent tailgating.

• Never disclose that you are home alone.

• Always be alert to vehicles or persons following you into your entrance or into the garage.

• Keep a list of emergency numbers next to the telephone.

• Secure firearms in a safe within your house.

• Ensure that all doors are locked at all times and that windows are closed when you're not at home.

• If you leave your house for longer than a day, inform your family, neighbours or friends of your intended destination. Let them know the time when you expect to return.