Home Safety Practices for Everyone

25 Ways to Increase Your Home Security

Outdoor security

Good visibility is very important for increasing awareness of the surroundings of your home.  Here are some ways to improve visibility outside your home:

  • Timers for outdoor lights,
  • Motion detectors,
  • Ensuring that pathways have a clear view,
  • Keeping bushes, shrubs and trees trimmed so that people can't hide in or around them.
  • Be aware of how and where people could hide in and around garages and other buildings.

Safety Practices

  • Apartment dwellers should list their first name initial instead of your full first name.
  • Outgoing messages on your answering machine - use "We" for plural and/ or a male voice.
  • Keep your doors locked at all times, even when you go out for a short period of time.
  • When you move into a new place, have new locks installed or have the old locks re-keyed.
  • Don't let strangers in to use the phone, offer to make the call for them.
  • If you have one, use your door chain.
  • Participate in neighbourhood watch programs. 
  • Enter emergency numbers on your speed dial or have them next to the phone.
  • Make your balcony difficult or noisy to climb.
  • Keep your spare keys with you in a place that is separate from where you carry your main set of keys. Don't hide them under the door mat or in the mailbox. Some suggestions for spare keys: An outdoor lock box or a neighbour.

When You Get Home

Lock your door upon entering your home. Without being overly paranoid, use your sense of smell, hearing and vision. Take notice of anything unusual in your home. 

For example:

  • Curtains opened instead of closed,
  • Doors closed or opened,
  • Something not in it's proper place,
  • Safety locks no longer secure.

Now that you're sure there is no one inside your house, you want to make sure no unwanted guests come in.

NOTE: There is a fine line between becoming overly paranoid and not taking enough safety precautions.

Suggestions:

  • Patio door security bar,
  • Window locks and bars,
  • Peep-holes,
  • Pencils in the window rails
  • Rubber stoppers inside door
  • Dimmer indoor lights than outdoor lights
  • Closed curtains,
  • Watch dog,
  • Alarm system.