3 Easy Tips to Keep your Home, Business and Vehicle Safe
The world today is a totally different place and Melbourne is no different. This year, crime rate rises by 8% driven by robberies and theft according to ABC News. Home break ins including home invasion (occur day and night) even car hijacking. Business hold ups are very real and anyone can be put into a position of threat at anytime. Below are some useful tips to keep yourself and your family safe.
- Use deadlocks. A deadlock are door locks that has both a key cylinder on the outside and the inside of a door. When a deadlock is locked it cannot be unlocked from either side of a door with out a key. As an example, let’s say your home or business has a glass door. The glass has been broken allowing someone to reach around and try to unlock the door. However, if your door is deadlocked, there is no way anyone can enter the door way with out a key. This in why most content insurance companies require deadlocks and deadlock window locks on all external entry points (window and doors). At the end of the day your own safety is of utmost importance. Deadlocking locks though is not encouraged to be locked when your at home because in cases of emergency like a fire – you will need to be able to get out immediately. Though deadlocks are normally better and stronger than normal locks – keeping our doors locked is a good safety measure deadlocked or not.
- Install security doors and eye viewers. Throughout Melbourne suburbs, home invasion is becoming a very real problem. Everyday we, at Locks Unlimited have clients calling in regards to stolen keys, mobile phones, house and car keys that have been taken from their kitchen table in the early hours of the morning. Its basic to lock all your doors and windows. It is not advisable as well to leave tempting items on the kitchen counter or table like car keys, money, or mobile phones. Many of our clients have some sort of baton under the bed and/or at the front door for protection. Home invasions can become very violent in just seconds so the best way to avoid this situation is to never open the front door to strangers, “not even someone in uniform“. You can speak to strangers through a security door. If you don’t have a security door – now is the perfect time to get one. An eye viewer is also a great idea. Deadlocks and window locks are even greater ideas. Know that sliding doors in your home will most likely be the easiest access point for a burglar. Install a CCTV. These systems are very good deterrents, like the alarms. All of these security devices must be visible. Most CCTV cameras are equipped with red glowing infrared lights which make them very noticeable.
- Keep you car doors locked whilst driving. When driving around the streets on Melbourne CBD or even the northern parts of Melbourne, places like Epping , Lalor, Mill Park, Reservoir etc., Locks Unlimited recommends to always keep car doors locked. Over the last 3 years we have seen a spike in carjackings incidents. These cases usually take place at traffic lights whilst waiting for lights change. All cases so far have been female victims.
- Keep spare keys safe. Over 80% of homes across Melbourne don’t have key locked letter boxes. What we find strange is that the other 20% of letter boxes that are locked seem to be always the ones targeted to be broken into. Many Locks Unlimited customers contact our locksmiths more frequent than every year across Melbourne asking to have there letter boxes repaired or cut new keys. The stranger fact are those of our customers who are fond of leaving the spare house keys on a plant pot by the window or any other seemingly believed to be inconspicuous places. Others leave keys out for a friend staying over. Both of these practices are not good as you will put your house keys in jeopardy. This is unsafe and the probability of your home being robbed with no break in evidence – can be very high.
For more home, business and vehicle security tips, talk to our expert locksmiths today.
