Tips: Make Your Home Safe & Secure

                Dolan’s is Your Safe Home, Secure Home Headquarters. 

We can’t deny that crime is on the rise, including property crimes. Home invasion, burglary, breaking and entering or break-ins are all descriptions of similar events. When this happens. . .

the results are usually large personal loss price tags because of stolen possessions, damaged property or, in some cases, harm to the family who lives there.You should not have to feel unsafe in your own home. Protecting your home by installing and updating home security products and innovations help your house, garage, sheds, and property to keep you safe and help prevent your belongings from being stolen.

Understanding Burglary and Home Invasion

If you are home when an attempted home invasion or actual invasion takes place, this is scary and often dangerous. The definition of a home invasion is the act of entering a home by a person who does not belong there while the residents are in the structure. The offender often commits additional unlawful acts like damaging property and stealing, or something worse.

Burglary is the act of breaking into a home or any structure without permission and with the intent to commit at least one additional crime. This could include theft, damage to property or other harm. Burglary and home burglary are defined as —–Burglary is when items are stolen from outside the home, and home burglary means things are stolen from inside the home.

• On average, over one million home burglaries happen annually in the U.S.
• Property crimes are the most common type of crime in the U.S.
• There are approximately 2.5 million burglaries in the United States every year.
• 25% of these burglaries take place during the day.
• Thieves often carry out home invasions during the day, assuming homeowners will be out of the house during working hours.
• 34% of burglars use the front door to enter the home.
• 10:00 am to 3:00 pm are the most common times for a home break-in
• A home burglary happens every 25.7 seconds in the U.S.
• On average, each break-in lasts eight to 10 minutes.
• $737,294,919,165 worth of property was stolen from homes in 2021.
• Miscellaneous items were the most popular among thieves, followed closely by consumable goods, vehicles and money.
• For a while, Burglary rates were declining for several decades. Now crime is increasing on a fast track.

The Best Deterrents for Burglars

Most burglars and home invaders will choose the path of least resistance to commit their crime. So if you’ve taken the steps to make your home less vulnerable, you just might save yourself and your family from a home invasion and burglary. 75% of all homes in the country will experience a burglary in a 20-year span, regardless of the neighborhood. Have you taken the steps to secure your home? Only 13% of property crimes are solved each year. This means that there is a good chance that you will not recover your stolen items.

  Make Your Home More Secure

1. Change your entry doors to attractive, strong, more secure doors. Dolan’s features solid hardwood entry doors that are more difficult to penetrate and can help deter break-ins. We have many choices in different price ranges from several preferred name brands.
2. When you order your new, updated windows and doors, consider Laminated Glass. Most Andersen window and door products have the option of laminated glass. This sturdy glass is difficult to break and has passed multiple tests from international standards organizations, including the ATSM International test for halting forced entry (ASTM F1233) and the burglary resistant guidelines issued by Underwriters Laboratories (UL972). There are other advantages to laminated glass including an excellent barrier for sound and extreme weather. Designed to keep you and your property safe for longer, there are multiple glazing options also available. Ask about enhanced glazing.
3. Fences can be good deterrents. A good fence sends a message – this is private property. If you have acres of land, a chain link fence might be the choice. In the city, a tall sturdy, redwood privacy fence is the most popular with posts secured in cement and a strong gate that locks. We feature Humboldt Redwood because the pickets are thicker and the overall quality is the best.
4. Lock your doors and windows.The main entry points of home break-ins are your first-floor windows and doors. New windows and doors can be purchased with secure locking advantages. Andersen, for example, offers the smart Yale Assure Lock for entry doors, folding patio doors and the E-Series and A-Series hinged patio doors. The lock has many features and improves your home security through its monitoring capabilities. If you already own Assure Lock compatible Andersen doors, this lock can be retrofitted.  Other manufacturers have unique locking systems like Milgard’s Smart Touch innovative security locks. If new windows and doors are not an option now, get a wireless alarm kit. They are not very expensive. Sliding glass doors tend to be easy to unlock and slide open. Special sliding patio door locks are now available and easy to install.
5. Install double-key deadbolts.Believe it or not, many intruders simply let themselves in through a home’s front door. Consider getting double-key deadbolts from Dolan’s which require two keys, one to enter and one to exit, so they offer more security. (Check your local building codes.) Floor locks are another option keeping intruders from reaching in and unlocking your doors.

6. Install exterior motion sensor lighting. Motion detectors are excellent deterrents. Position them at entrances and dark spots around your home’s perimeter. Night time can be less attractive by illuminating possible entry points. Add exterior lighting and lights with motion detection and cameras near entry doors, windows, decks and patios, driveways or anywhere that makes detection hard to avoid.

7. Invest in a home security system. Installing a home alarm system is one of the most foolproof ways to prevent burglary. We do not provide home security systems but we recommend you do your homework and discover the best and most reliable system in your area.

8. Put timers on indoor lights. A dark house in the evening can be an invitation to a potential burglar. If you are going to be away for 24 hours, a few days or much longer, use timers that automatically turn on lamps in select rooms at specific times. Set outdoor lights, pathway and patio lights, to turn on in the evening.

9. Reinforce windows. Small windows are easy targets for burglars. In some areas, to make them less vulnerable, install safety glass. Contact your local glass company.

Going Out of Town

10. Don’t advertise. Going to be gone for awhile? Do not post on social media or leave a message on your outgoing voicemail if you don’t want to be easy prey for burglars. Don’t post photos or up-dates on your trip until you return home.

11. Have a neighbor check your home. Or, pay someone you trust to house-sit. They can take in your mail, newspapers, and packages, and create any signs of life to help avert a break-in.

12. The days of leaving a spare key under a mat or flower pot are long gone. If you must, give a key with a trusted neighbor or keep it in a combination lock box in a discreet, unsuspecting place.

13. Secure your garage. If you have one, disconnect the automatic door opener if you are going to be gone. Garage doors are an easy access point if they remain unlocked while your house is empty, even for a few days.

14. Leave a radio on. Create the illusion that you are home.

15. Close blinds and curtains. Not being able to see the value of your possessions will often deter criminals from taking the chance for little rewards.

16. If you are a victim, when you come home from a trip to the store or a longer vacation and your home has been broken into, do not go inside in case the burglar is still there. Call the police immediately from your cell phone or a neighbor’s house. Don’t touch anything which can destroy fingerprints that help solve crimes.

17. Avoid Advertising Costly Items Do not advertise newly purchased big-ticket home items. Dispose of packaging and boxes of expensive items such as televisions, electronics or other valuables. Place the packaging in dark trash bags or wait for trash pick-up day before placing packaging outside. Burglars frequently monitor trash containers and recycling bins for loot clues.

18. Back up your computer and hide your hard drive. What if your computer is stolen? You better have a backup drive hidden some place. Hide your hard drive s(and any cash) somewhere unexpected.

19. Take pictures of valuables. Be sure you record model numbers and purchase prices. You will need these if you have to file claims.

20. Get a safe. Precious jewels, passports, essential documents and even pictures and mementos belong in a fireproof safe. Good idea to build your safe in the wall or bolt it to the floor.

21. Change the locks when you move in to a new residence. Whether you’re a homeowner or a renter, it is advisable to change the locks because old locks may have had many keys issued or copies of keys made.

22. Get rid of hidden entry points. Eliminate or trim large bushes, shrubs or trees that cover windows, entryways and patios. Keep exterior hiding places to a minimum.

These are some of the things you should not put off until tomorrow because you can and should make your home and your family less vulnerable to crime —today!