Common security mistakes people who live in small neighborhoods make

Living in a small neighbourhood has its perks as everyone seems to be friendly towards everyone else, neighbours having close relationships and helping each other out in times of need. This gives residents an increased sense of safety, most homes lacking advanced security measures that are present in large neighbourhood homes and cities as they don’t see the need to make substantial financial efforts in this department, considering that it is unlikely for them to ever fall prey to robberies or break-ins. But is this actually true, are you, as a resident of a small neighbourhood that safe in the comfort of your own home?

Woefully, breaches occur even in the safest, smallest, quietest neighbourhoods throughout the country, your area making no exception. It is foolish to rely on the fact that you are friends with your neighbours and that the area you live in is generally incident-free as you never know when something bad could happen and you might be the victim of that occurrence. We recommend you check out the following common mistakes in terms of security that people who live in small, tight communities tend to make and apply our fixes and advice to stay clear of any unwanted event.

Mistake #1 – Oversharing and advertising

When we talk about oversharing, we refer to bragging about your belongings to others. Sure, your neighbours might not have any bad intentions, but you never know who they talk to about your valuables or who overhears sensitive conversations of this nature, making it highly tempting for thieves to target you. When we talk about advertising, on the other hand, we refer to the common mistake of leaving valuables on full display for people to see when they walk down the street past your house. There’s no point in showing off what you own as you give burglars the chance to assess how profitable it would be to break into your home, making it more likely to become a victim.

• Fix: Evidently, you should be a bit more reserved when it comes to talking about what you own and be smarter when it comes to how you arrange furniture and belongings. If you don’t want to change the way you organized your things, at least draw the curtains of the windows facing the street when the lights are on at night.

Mistake #2 – Leaving the door open when you are at home

You might feel so safe at home that you forget to close the main entrance at night or when you go take a shower – big mistake! It doesn’t take long for objects to get stolen and your privacy to be invaded, and no matter how safe you think you are, you should never neglect home entrance security. If you made a habit out of leaving the door unlocked, it will take a while to fix this bad custom, but luckily for you, there’s the option of automatic locking with modern security devices, option that ensures even when you forget or neglect to lock the door it will still close behind you.

• Fix: Change your lock with a smart one that ensures the door will close on its own, or at least make it a point to break this bad habit if you are not willing to make any change to the lock itself.

Mistake #3 – Using dummy security equipment

Even though some promote dummy equipment as a great way to deter burglars, it’s not as smart of a safety enhancing addition as you might think. Some burglars can tell the difference between fake and real equipment, which puts you in quite an awkward position as, instead of buying real cameras that would have made a difference, you spent your money uselessly on fake equipment that actually ends up encouraging break-ins. After all, if you were too cheap to buy an actual surveillance camera, what are the chances you have proper locks on your doors?

• Fix: The fix is quite obvious, just install actual security equipment and throw away that cheap-looking dummy equipment you have. They only use up space uselessly and make you a sure target for experienced thieves.

Mistake #4 – Relying on a guard dog

Do you really think having a dog in your yard will keep burglars at bay? Yes, the hound will most likely bark if it notices movement at night or if the person entering your property isn’t someone who the animal is acquainted with, but this isn’t a given all the time. Of course, there the aspect of the leash – if the dog is wearing one, it won’t be able to tackle the perpetrator anyway. On the other hand, if the leash is off it won’t make too big of a difference either if the dog isn’t trained to handle these types of situations.

• Fix: Instead of relying on Fido to keep you safe, install a proper security system that involves alarms, cameras, and anything else you deem fit to keep your home secure. The dog might be a great “alarm” in some cases, but it will never compare to sensors that activate as soon as someone tries to make a forced entry.

Mistake #5 – Sharing your travel plans on social media

You might be eagerly awaiting that trip you planed around the country or abroad, but you don’t have to let everyone when and where you are going. The most common mistake modern people do is overshare their plans on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms, not realizing that there are people who could use these info to steal belonging when their houses are empty. Even if you have only close friends and relatives added to your social media, you never know who might hack into their accounts and inevitably turn your home into a target for burglary.

• Fix: Be a little more conservative when it comes to your private life. If you really want to share details about your trips and vacations, at least do it after you come home. The pictures you put up and the stories you tell will be equally impressive to your followers after you arrive as they are during your stay – better safe than sorry, after all!

Useful don’ts to keep in mind:

• Don’t leave tools out in the yard – these objects might come in handy for burglars when they try to break an entry.
• Don’t turn off all the lights when you go away – it’s better to leave some of them on or, if possible, program the lights to turn on at night to make it seem like you are at home.
• Don’t leave spare keys outside – this is just a foolish habit that gives strangers easy access into your home if they stumble upon your hiding spots.
• Don’t neglect garage security – make sure the garage door is impossible to open by securing it as it can provide access to the house, and you might even be left without certain valuables that you keep in it.
• Don’t skip on security system maintenance – if you have a system in place, make sure you never skip on periodic checks and maintenance as, when something goes wrong, you will be left without protection and you won’t even be aware of it.

Excerpt:

A higher sense of safety and security is had by those who live in small neighbourhoods, and for a good reason to as all neighbours know each other, small communities tending to stick together through thick and thin. But this doesn’t put you in the clear from burglaries and break-ins completely, something you must remember if you want to keep your home and family safe.