Portland Night Patrol’s Holiday season security tips
During Christmas and the New Year season, it is a well-known fact that residential burglaries and break-ins increase. Many Portland families decide to go away to visit relatives and thus leave their homes without supervision, which leads thieves to believe that there is an opportunity of breaking and entering.
To avoid this, ensure that you have quality security systems such as monitoring, or CCTV systems are working properly. We at Portland Night Patrol specialise in security for residential homes, and as a result have a vast knowledge on the different ways to keep your home safe during the holiday season.
Maintain the appearance that your house is occupied
It is incredibly important to keep your home looking as through it is not unattended. This means setting automatic lights with timers, having your mail collected by a friend or neighbour, not letting your rubbish bins sit out the front of your house or on the street for days on end, and resisting posting on social media or commenting online that your house is empty. We have seen many cases in the industry where individuals post online noting that their home, filled with expensive and valuable items, is vacant, which has made them a target for thieves.
Ensure your security systems are working well
For security systems to prevent break-ins they must be working properly. You can ensure this by regularly cleaning out the sensors, testing that they work, and not interfering with the CCTV camera or sensor with Christmas decorations such as the tree, tinsel and other décor. You should also make sure that your heating and cooling systems are not left on when you leave for your holiday and this can lead to the set off of false alarms.
Hide your valuables and indicate you have security systems in place
It is also important that you hide any items of value out of direct site from the outside of the home, such as laptops, jewellery, televisions, heirlooms, etc. You should also place visible signage and stickers that communicate to others that your home is being monitored by a security company such as Portland Night Patrol.
Keep us in the loop
Lastly, we recommend that if you are planning on leaving your home for a holiday that you inform our team at Portland Night Patrol of the dates you are leaving and returning. Our services are available 24/7 every day of the year, yet our Administration Office will close at 12.00pm on Wednesday, 23rd December and reopen at 9:00am on Wednesday, 6th January 2021.
We’ll help keep your belongings safe whilst you enjoy your well-deserved break and we look forward to seeing you again in the new year. Any inquires please contact us directly on (03) 5521 7181.
