Home Safety – Best Offense is a Good Defense

Since the dawn of humanity, mankind has been watching over hearth and home. In the night, men would rotate the watch; keeping a watchful eye out for predators and fires. Safety and security are universal human desires; but everyone of us have a different definition of what safety means; we all form our own meaning of safety from friends, the news, and even our own traumatic experiences. As a REALTORⓇ, I make it my business to ensure safety for my clients. As husband and father, I’ve been thinking about what safety will look like for my own family. I love people, and strive to always see the best in humanity; but the reality is that Fort Worth is a big city. The best offense is a good defense, and being practical about home safety is the number one way to deter those who would violate your sense of safety.

We want to keep our memory-filled and expensive things safe, so how can we mitigate the risks, and improve our sense of safety? I have three rules that I follow when working to maintain safety in my own home, and I advise my clients to do the same.

Tyler’s Top Three: Safety

1. Reduce temptations: Theft is the leading crime by a significant margin. 21% of all crime in Fort Worth is theft, the second being burglary at 9% which usually leads to theft. [data.fortworthtexas.gov]. I wish more homeowners understood just how many of these crimes were planned in advance, and how many were noticable opportunities the perpetrator exploited. A few simple ways to reduce temptation around your own home are:

• • Park in your driveway instead of on the street.

  • DO NOT leave valuables in the car.

  • Be aware of your trash- try not to leave big tv boxes outside (diaper boxes are a red flag too).

  • Every night before you go to bed, make sure all the windows are locked with the curtains drawn.

  • Keep your deadbolt locked.

  • Even if you don’t own one, get a security system sign and stickers.

These minor changes can make the difference between a desperate induvidual taking action or moving on.

2. Notice them: A burglar’s best asset is their ability to go unnoticed. When choosing a mark, they’re going to go with the place where they’re least likely to be seen. The first thing burglars look for are houses where they can go undetected. Make sure your home isn’t one of them with any of these tips:

• • Lighting isn’t just there to create ambiance in your dining room. Lights go a long way towards deterring potential intruders, both inside and outside of the home. My favorite proactive lighting is a security light over your front door, and motion lights around the house. Leaving a few lights on through the night is a good idea as well.

  • Anything obstructing your door or windows would be wise to address. Keep hedges trimmed low and strategically park your cars if you are able to do so.

  • Dogs aren’t just good companions (ask me about my girl Lana!), they are fantastic alarm systems. If they are allowed to roam at night, that adds an extra level of security; but even when crated they are wonderful at scaring off intruders.

  • Get to know your neighbors. The first thing I do when moving into a new home is to go around to each house on the block and introduce myself. I even take cookies! I’m always hoping to get to know more people, because friends are nice. But beyond friendship, people are more likely to watch out for one another when we know one another. New friends on my street mean more eyes on my home, and that is always a good thing.

Any of these deterrents increase the likelihood that you will detect an intruder before they cross your threshold. Reducing the target on your own home really is that easy!

3. Sleep well: with one eye open: The most effective way to not only prevent, but also catch a criminal that has foolishly chosen your home to is enroll with a home security system company. Smartphone technology has come a long way, and recent advancements of 24/7 video surveillance no longer resemble CCTV black and white cameras. Now you can have an endlessly streamed real-time HD video of the outside and inside of your home in your pocket! Your smart device can be notified any time there’s something unusual occurring at your property. Home security systems can detect doors and windows opening, glass breaking, non-pet related motion in the home; and responds by calling the police automatically. Some systems also have ‘panic’ buttons that allow you to instantly call the police with a push of a button.

Companies I would recommend are Simplisafe due to their motion sensor tech, friendly application interface, and affordability. Ring doorbells are also huge right now, and for good reason! Their data storage capacity and affordability make live streaming video super easy. Brinks & ADT are great too, those are well known brands that are no stranger to the safety game and they each provide wonderful best support staff.

I’m a chronic optimist, which can make it difficult to think proactively about home safety and security. As much as my optimism wants to ignore it, crime can happen to anyone. No one method is completely fail proof, but any preventative measure is better than doing nothing at all. My hope is that at one or more of these preventive measures make it into our daily life. Not so that we worry more! But instead that in a world filled with people of all backgrounds (unfortunately, including criminals) we can feel a genuine sense of safety in our own homes.