Securing your house before going on tour
This note is meant for those
living alone, especially senior citizens. Your house has to be secured against
theft, burglary, trespass or abuse during your absence. Here are a dozen ideas
serving that end, before you proceed on travel.
1. Don’t announce to the
entire world that you are going to be away. Avoid loud discussions about travel
your plans with neighbors in public places or in the presence of servants. Be
discrete to extent feasible.
2. See that you take adequate
measures to handle regular visitors or vendors like paper boys, Milk supplier,
postman etc in your absence. If you are away for a few days, anyone can notice
newspapers strewn all over your front yard or overflowing letters in your
mailbox. This will give ideas to thieves to plan an attack.
3. Leave a word with trust
worthy neighbors to keep an eye for any untoward happenings and to alert you
4. Leave urgent contact
numbers (not just yours but also of
those through whom someone can reach you in case of emergency) with people whom
you trust.
5. Secure doors and windows
properly.
6. Shift valuables to a safe
locker in a bank
7. Ensure that electricity,
water, gas and similar utilities are turned off. For example, if you leave inlet
water line open in a sump, accumulated water will overflow resulting in not only
wastage of water but also give away clues about your absence.
8. Use social media like
FaceBook and Twitter responsibly. Dangers are real.
9. Most seniors do not trust
the police as they fear that informing them to keep a watch might work adversely.
During the past couple of years image of police has improved and depending on
rapport you have with your local police, decide accordingly.
10. Set up CCTV cameras at
strategic points with recording to a system connected to Internet such that it
can be accessed in case of need. Don’t switch off this circuit!
11. If the house is secluded
you may think of electric fencing.
12. If you engage a part time
gardener or watchman in your absence, please do have his past verified by
police
No comments:
Post a Comment