Average response time for law enforcement during 2013 was 11 minutes. Of course this varies from location to location. Rural response times are higher than the average. Urban response times vary by the time of day. Now matter where you are the odds of law enforcement being able to respond in under five minutes is slim. These fundamentals could assist you with never having to call law enforcement or buy you the time you need for them to respond.
At home.
Know your neighborhood. If you know who lives near you and what is normal you will be able to notice when someone "questionable" is around. Does your neighbor work nights? Is that who is making the noise you are hearing? Nobody works nights? Then who is out there making noise? Spend some time paying attention to your surroundings. Learn the rhythm of your neighborhood and you will be able to notice when something is 'just not right'. Having a mental baseline of what is 'normal' in your neighborhood is very important to increasing your security!
Lock your doors and windows every time you leave and especially at night. Locking the doors while you are home is also a very good idea. Unlocked doors are an invitation for someone to walk in. A vast majority of robberies are crimes of opportunity. 'Bad guy' checks to see if a door or window is locked, if it is they move on, if it is open they let themselves in. Same goes for your car do not leave it unlocked or with the windows down even in your driveway. This makes it too easy for someone to just grab and go. This alone has to be the easiest thing you can do to increase your personal security.
Outside lighting is a must. Sure, none of us can pay the electric bill to keep flood lights on around our property every night. What we want is the ability to light up the outside if needed. Any entrance to your home needs to have a light you can turn on to see who is at the door. Having friends and family get in the habit of calling before they come over. Motion lights set up to turn on when someone walks close to them is a good idea and keeps you from having to pay for the light being on all night.
Having a small flashlight next to your front door is an excellent idea. You never know when the light outside your front door might burn out. If someone does come to your door in the middle of the night you do not have to open the door!!!! Ask them through the door who they are and what they want. If you do not have a peephole or can't see through your door step over to the nearest window and see who is at the door. If the porch light does not work use the flashlight through the window. Once you breach the locks on the front door you have given up your last line of safety. Even if they say they are injured and need help leave the door locked and tell them you will call an ambulance for them.
Never, NEVER, let someone in to use your phone!!! Almost everyone has a cell phone nowadays and if they do not this might be a good indication they are someone you do not want in your home. If they claim they need to call someone for a ride or to let them know where they are at, ask them the number through the door and call the number for them. You can relay the message for them through the door. Again, if you do not know them DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR FOR ANY REASON!
Never crack the door with only the small chain between you and an unknown person. The small chains people mount to their doors are useless! Any teenager has enough strength to snap the chain right off. Never stand directly behind your door when you answer it. Should someone try to break through your door the door will hit you if they force it inward. While you react to being hit by the door they will have the advantage.
Having a deadbolt lock on your door is a must! Instal one with a long bolt which will be harder for someone to kick in. If you have a window in the door or a window with in arm reach of the door you need to instal a deadbolt which requires a key to unlock on both sides. Never leave the key in the lock or close enough someone can break a window, grab the key and unlock the lock.
Inside of the house have a lock on your bedroom door. Should you find an intruder in your home you can retreat into your bedroom and lock the door. Even a simple lock will buy you some time while you call the police. In your bedroom you should have a phone. Most of us carry a cell phone, if you can, set up the charger for the phone in your bedroom, this way you always have it near you. Having another phone, other than your cell phone, in your bedroom is highly recommended. This way you have a back up when you need it.
Dog lovers have an advantage when it comes to home security. Even those who own those tiny little, yapping ankle biters. Infact this is the one time they might be better than a 'real' sized dog. The little ones bark at everything and bad guys really do not like any attention being drawn to them.
If you are home and something happens which just does not 'feel' right call the police. Every police department has a non-emergency number you can call to report something. Only call 911 if you have an emergency. Never second guess yourself about calling law enforcement. The sooner the 11 minutes start the better.
At night and when you are not home close the curtains. This keeps people from seeing what you have inside and does not allow them to covet what you have. By closing them at night you are not allowing people to look into your house without you being able to see them. The natural glare of the lights inside a room stop you from being able to see anyone even five or six feet away from your window.
Security film can be placed on your windows. The film is really not difficult to install and can not be seen when installed properly. if someone tries to break your window this will keep the glass together longer and buy you time. A thief trying to break into your home might just stop if the glass does not shatter after a hit or two. Garage windows should be a priority to put film on and next would be back doors. Anywhere a bad guy thinks they can break a window and not be seen. This film can be easily bought on amazon and some come in kits with everything you need to install the film.
Being secure in your home should be the first thing you work toward. We all think we are safe in our own home and these 'easy to do items' can ensure you really are. As always;
Stay safe.
