Locked Up Tight: Homeowners in Bethesda Cannot Become Complacent About Home Safety
Outside of the holiday season when people are receiving valuable packages in the mail, not enough attention is paid to the safety of one’s home. This is true even in Bethesda where the holidays brought an increase in daytime break-ins and need for locksmiths. Are homeowners remaining diligent when it comes to keeping their home, family, and valuables safe?
Robberies Are Not Like the Movies
As the recent spike in Bethesda demonstrated, home invasions and robberies do not occur the way they are depicted in the movies. In fact, the large majority of break-ins within the area occurred during daylight hours, according to the Bethesda Chevy Chase Regional Services Center. This is true nationwide, with about two-thirds of residential robberies occurring during the day. Furthermore, break-ins do not just occur during the holidays. Every 13.7 seconds, someone’s home is broken into in the United States.
Making Sure Your Locks are Secure
The best way to protect your home from being burglarized is to think about safety as a preemptive measure rather a reactive one. Here are some easy ways to protect your home from a break-in:
When choosing a material for any entrance to your home, you want it to be made of a solid material such as wood (make sure it is solid throughout and not particle board on the inside) or metal.
Entrances to your home should have multiple locks on them to increase the difficulty of breaking in.
How Stuff Works Home suggests that being out of town and letting everyone know it could be putting your home at risk. All it takes is one overflowing mailbox to let potential intruders know you are away. If you will be out of town make arrangements to have your mail kept at the post office and alert local authorities of your trip so they can keep watch on your home.
The locks on your exterior doors should also be ones that are ‘pick proof.’ There are locks that specifically protect and prevent being picked, drilled, or forced open in any way.
Doors are not the only way for an intruder to get in—be sure that all first-floor windows have locks that you keep locked when you are not home.
To avoid the possibility of an intruder getting in your second story windows, make sure there are no trees or other objects that can be climbed to gain entry.
Remember, when it comes to safety it is always better to be over-prepared than not secure enough.
Report Suspicious Activity
The Bethesda Police ask that the public continue to be aware of their surroundings and to report any suspicious activity in your neighborhood such as strange cars driving through multiple times or strangers lurking in the area. If your home does suffer a break-in, remember to contact the police immediately and speak with a locksmith in Bethesda to ensure your home is made more secure.
