The Holidays, A Time For Crime
Unfortunately, the most festive time of year is also a prime time for crime. Your home is a target of criminals who are looking for an easy way to take things of value from you and make money during the holidays. Often your valuable will end up in a pawn shop either locally or in another state. The criminals who break into homes are often very clever leaving very little clues as to who they were and how they picked you as their victim. But there are a few things you can do to prevent your home from being the one in six homes in America that get broken into annually.
- Invest in an alarm system. Although not full proof, an alarm can be a big deterent to a thief targeting your house. It would be much easier to successfully hit a home without an alarm system. Often an alarm does not prevent the break in, but does limit the time the thief has to rummage through your valuables without getting caught. Some alarms are local and only set off an alert in the house. Some are connected to a monitoring center that can dispatch the police when they are set off. In some cases, having an alarm system can give you a discount on your insurance policy. Check with your insurance agent to see if you qualify.
-Make sure all door and windows are secured. Probably nothing helps more in the security of a door than a dead bolt lock. All exterior doors in your home should have a dead bolt. Many thieves will look for an unlocked window or door. With the mild winters here in Charleston, many of us leave our windows open on a nice day. How many times do we forget to lock those windows before leaving home? Sliding glass doors are also a big target. Something as simple as a bar or rod inserted in the track of the door can add protection.
-Leave a light on in and outside of the house. Something as simple as a timer on a light when you leave your home adds protection. Outside lighting is also important. A lit area will deter a thief and give your neighbors better view of your home. Try not to leave an exterior light on all day. Buy a timer for exterior lights that will turn them off during the daytime. An outside porch light left on 24/7 is a good sign someone is on vacation.
-Speaking of neighbor; nothing could be more helpful in preventing theft than to have an agreement with your neighbor to check in on one another’s home when one is away. Just have someone walk over to your house and check doors and show some activity around the house. If a thief is casing your house, he may move on if there is someone occasionally checking on it.
- Cancel your newspaper and hold the mail. One of the greatest signs someone is not home and on vacation is a stack of newspapers in the driveway. It takes a minute to cancel your newspaper delivery and can save your home from being a target. The post office also has yellow cards to hold mail delivery until you return. Pick up a few of these next time you are at the post office and when you go out of town, throw one in your mailbox to hold the mail.
-Trim the bushes. If you have trees or bushes near windows, you are only giving a thief a shielded area to work in. Cut back tall trees or bushes so that the window is visible to you and your neighbor. Don’t give the thief any cover to do his dirty work.
-Attention RENTERS! If you rent your items of value need to be covered under a renters insurance policy. This is usually not expensive coverage and can give you the protection you need. Your landlord is NOT respsonsible for your belongings if your house/apartment is broken into. Consult a local insurance agent in Charleston to get a renters insurance policy.
-Presents under the tree. If you insist on brightly wrapped presents under the tree, do fake boxes and not valuable presents. Hide the valuables and display the fakes. Although, it probably is best not to put presents (real or fake) out until the night before Christmas. Do not give a thief something to be tempted by, he may take it.
-Itemize and document your belongings. If you do become a vicitim of theft, you should have your valuables itemized. Often homeowners will video or take photos of their belongings. A photo of a room can document hundreds of items, but a detailed list is always best. Periodically taking a photo of a room or videoing your house can give you and the claims adjuster much to go on. Any one item of high value, rugs, jewelry, antiques, art, should be itemized on your insurance policy. Often items like this carry a limit on theft. Check with your insurance agent to make sure all of your items are covered adequately.
There is no sure way to protect you and your family from crime during the holidays, but there are simple ways to help prevent it. Do not give a thief easy access to your valuables during this holiday time. Take one afternoon to come up with a list of things you can do to minmize your home’s weak spots. If you are planning to be gone for the holidays, make a list of things you will need to do to ready your home. Lastly, consult your insurance agent in Charleston about other coverage you might need specifically for your home and family.
Philip L. Bradley
Philip L. Bradley is a licensed insurance agent and personal financial representative in the state of South Carolina. He is the CEO of The East Cooper Insurance Agency in Mt. Pleasant, SC. 843-881-2886
