"P" Help #7: Security at Home

When we're away enjoying our adventures, we need to have peace of mind that our home is protected.  If you leave family at home, you're all set.  If you hire someone to 'house-sit,' you're all set.  If no one is there, what do you do?

My late, beloved parents, Adeline and Reuben, had a fancy security system in their home in Sacramento, California, U.S.A.  They lived there from 1970 to 1990 and frequently drove all over the country visiting me and my brothers.  One brother lived in Ireland, and mom and dad especially loved to visit him and his family which included a wonderful group of his wife's relatives.  They also loved to go on cruises with friends to Europe, the Mediterranean, Hawaii, and Alaska.

The first and only time their security system alarmed, they actually were in town having dinner.  Police alerted them that someone had broken into their house.  Later the neighbors told them, "There was this screeching loud siren, then several minutes later the police cruisers ran in, and nearly the same time, the police helicopter appeared over your house!"  Their neighbors also reported, "The teenagers across the street were sitting on their roof watching the show.  We wonder if they broke into your house to see what would happen!"  Nothing at all was disarrayed or taken from their home.

Nowadays the security systems are much improved, with fire/smoke detection also included, for a price.  You may want to invest in outdoor motion-sensitive lights around your doors.  I'm told that you don't even have to get the light fixtures, you can buy motion-sensitive light bulbs to put in your present fixtures, but I haven't personally looked for them.

Of course, you want to double-check that all your windows and doors are locked, yard gates closed, and that your garage door is down before you leave.  Stop delivery of all mail and newspapers when you'll be gone.  You want your home to look like you're still there.  Timers on lights are suggested, to turn off and on those lights during your usual pattern of being at home.  Arrange for lawn care, if needed.  Don't forget to water your houseplants before you leave, or ask a friend to care for them (plant sitter?).  Make sure your fire detector batteries don't need replacing.

When I was eight years old, my family moved to Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A.  It was a big old house in a neighborhood without street lights.  One Sunday, when my Army dad was out of town, mom took us kids to the 'country' to visit our aunt, uncle, and cousins.  We came back later than we had planned.  The double wooden garage doors were open.  That was the first thing we noticed.  Mom worriedly said, "I don't remember leaving those open."

Our house was pitch black dark.  Mom unlocked the back door and we went in.  Mom turned on the kitchen light.  She immediately ordered us, "Something's wrong.  We're leaving and getting Grandpa to come over and look around."  Later she reflected, "The door to the (unfinished) attic was open.  We rarely went up there.  I knew someone had been here and thought they still might be inside somewhere."

We came back with Grandpa, brave old Grandpa and his baseball bat!  He looked everywhere, in the attic, in the basement, in every room.  Whoever had been there was gone.  Relief!  We went in.  Nothing looked disturbed.  But mother started looking in closets and cabinets. She had arthritis in her fingers and couldn't wear her diamond wedding rings.  They were stolen from a kitchen cabinet.  Several pieces of silver utensils were taken along with my piggy bank heavy with pennies.  Chicken was taken from the freezer!  Upstairs in the attic, thieves didn't take the expensive movie equipment. Police theorized that, "This must have been teenagers because of what was taken."

The next day mom chatted with neighbors.  They explained that, "We saw your house lit up and all the shades down.  We figured you were playing cards or something."  They promised to alert mom if anything similar ever happened, which it didn't.

Don't forget to unplug your TV.  One of my brothers told me about a friend whose TV was OFF & started a fire due to a malfunction and fire of the part that keeps it ready to turn on quickly.  I don't know if this just pertains to the old 'tube' TVs or for all of them.

A huge barking dog, I'm told, is the best crime prevention you can get. One of my daughters had her German shepherd weighed yesterday: 126 pounds, more than she weighed!  Their dining room window in the front of their house is tall and very low to the floor.  The big dog doesn't let anyone pass by the street without vigorous barking and pacing by the window.  No one would dare come in!  If you don't want to protect your house that way, I'm told there are recordings that are motion-sensitive to sound like there's a big dog in your house.

You may want to ask your local police department to keep a closer watch on your house.  I'm fortunate that a close family friend is a local police officer who frequently comes in the house while I'm gone, "Just to make sure everything's OK."  Think I'll leave him a special box of cookies with his name on it the next time I'm gone!"

Do you know of any other security measures?  You probably don't have to be concerned about the chickens in your freezer!!