Kathy S.: I live in a rural area of northern Georgia, and my husband travels a lot because of business. We live in a home with a split bedroom plan. When my husband is gone I am terrified that someone may enter our home and kidnap our daughter. I hate living in fear. I lock all the doors and windows, but am I taking every precaution? I want to know my child is safe and that I’ve done everything possible to protect her.
JW: Kathy, there is no foolproof way to keep intruders out of your home, but there are lots of things you can do to make intruders think twice before trying to come in to your home. The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) has a lot of great tips for keeping your home secure at night, including these:
- Always lock your windows and doors using strong, reliable locks;
- Keyed doorknobs and deadbolts are recommended to keep your home from being easy to get into;
- Install locks on your windows, or insert a diagonal nail or eyebolt through both window frames to lock the windows from the inside;
- If you have sliding glass doors, make sure to have locks in place, and put a metal or wood dowel in the track of the closed door to keep the door from opening, even if the lock fails.
A well-lit property can be a good deterrent to would-be thieves as well. You can set automatic timers to control your lights inside your home if you’re going to be away. The experts recommend keeping all entryways well lit. Aim some lights away from the house so you can see if anyone is approaching, or install motion sensors to help minimize any possible hiding places.
The NCPC has many more tips available on their website, including a home security checklist that you can download.
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