Advice On Home Security

by Francis

posted on 03/03/2009

Regardless if your plan is for an entire multi-residential area, such as a housing development, or a single family residence, the four principles are the same. They are:

1) Natural Access control

2) Natural Surveillance

3) Territorial Reinforcement

4) Target Hardening

A burglar will not even consider your home a target if it is well lit, time consuming to break into, or if attempting to break in will attract attention. Research conducted by the National Insurance Institute indicates if it takes a burglar more than five minutes to enter a home, that burglar will go elsewhere.

This is where Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (or "CPTED") can work for you. The best part is you don't have to spend a lot of money to make your home a "harder target." Just take the time to look your property over and see how it complies with the four principles of CPTED.

1) Natural Access Control is nothing more than making sure your walkway and landscaping direct visitors to the proper entrance to your home. This can best be accomplished by keeping overgrown vegetation clear of your walkway as well as toys, tools, or anything which would allow an excuse to walk onto a private area.

2) Natural Surveillance is ensuring all doorways opening to the outside are well lit, that the front door is, at least, partially visible from the street, and that the front door can be seen from the driveway.

I can't stress enough the fact that your shrubbery should not prevent a passing police patrol car from seeing the front of your house. Your landscaping should not work to an intruder's advantage by proving concealment and allowing extra time to break in to your castle. Think in terms of a mom and pop grocery store having a large window allowing a view to everything going on inside the store, especially at the cash register. By them stacking cartons of sodas and other merchandise in front of it causes allows an armed robber to take his or her time robbing the place. High hedges obstructing the front of your house give an intruder all the time in the world.

3) Territorial Reinforcement is really just defining your property lines and private
areas. This is usually accomplished with plantings, pavement treatments, and fences. Bear in mind the discussion above or Natural Surveillance and ensure fences and shrubbery allow an unobstructed view of the front of your property. Because you may have to summon public service agencies, your street address should be visible from the street. Numbers at least five inches high made of non-reflective material are recommended.

4) Target Hardening is what you can do now. You can make sure no ropes or ladders are available to help an intruder. The garbage can is not up against the fence so that same intruder can use it to get over the fence to spend the rest of the day, or worse, evening, breaking into your home. I'm sure you're aware of appropriate exterior door and window locks, however ensure the doors are hinged on the inside. The door allowing entry into your home from the garage should be secured with a dead bolt lock.

The most important consideration in CPTED and any kind of security is NEVER GIVE AN INTRUDER ANY HELP. The best thing you can do for your loved ones and you is to get in the habit of always checking door and window locks prior to leaving or retiring for the night. Never assume they are locked. SEE FOR YOURSELF.

You can never be too secure!

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