Resident Safety
Do not put your name on a mailbox. These days, criminals are getting creative. They may appear in UPS or FedEx uniforms, impersonating deliverymen, pretending to deliver a package. Or they may come to your front door and say , “I have a letter here for Mr. So-and-so.” You’ll be lulled into a false sense of security and end up getting mugged, robbed or worse.
If your are outside gardening or sunning yourself by the swimming pool, pay attention. Your resident safety could be at risk. Unless you live in a gated community, you never know who might be coming by-from the electrical company representative reading the meter to strangers passing through the neighborhood.
If you live in a dark area where houses are far apart, invest in a security system and lights that can illuminate the environment.
You may also want to install a sensor near your security gates or front of your driveway so you have ample warning about anyone approaching your house by car or truck. This could compromise your resident safety. There have been cases where robbers driving up with a U-Haul to the front door of a house off the road and cleaning the place out. The neighbors, a few hundred yards away, thought the owners were moving and didn’t alert the police.
If you live on a poorly lit street and notice strange people coming and going in the neighborhood, or if you hear someone was attacked and the criminals used the darkness to their advantage, be proactive. Go to the hardware store and get an automated security light, which activates by motion when anybody gets near the house. Perhaps criminals will then pass up your house because they are not comfortable taking a chance where they can be seen or caught.
Criminals try to make you think everything is OK in order to set you up for a fall. They will care you, your car, your jewelry, and your habits-when you come and go where you are going. They may be out in the open where they can seen everyday, for weeks at a time. You get used to them being around and become relaxed.
