Protecting yourself against burglary is difficult and costly, but let us remember that the more valuable items there are in an apartment, the better the security measures should be. Before breaking in, an offender often wants to find out whether overcoming the security measures and taking the risk will be worthwhile. Therefore, in addition to technical methods, so-called safe practices play an important role in securing your home. They make it more difficult for potential burglars to identify apartments and houses that could become their targets.

TIPS:

  1. Always close the door behind you when using the intercom. It is not a perfect device, but for a thief it is the first obstacle to overcome and the first barrier protecting the basements.
  2. After dark, cover your windows, even if you live on a higher floor. A burglary is generally preceded by observing the apartment from outside. Uncovered windows make it possible to learn its layout and identify places where valuable items are kept.
  3. Never leave your keys in an “agreed” place, such as under the doormat or on a windowsill. Finding them will not pose any difficulty for a thief.
  4. Do not put notes on the door stating where you are and when you will return.
  5. If you have to go out for a while, leave the radio on in the kitchen—it creates the impression that someone is home. The electricity cost is small, and the sound may mislead a thief.
  6. When you are going away for several days, leave a friend the key to your mailbox. Accumulated mail signals that nobody is home. Also ask neighbors to collect leaflets from outside your door.
  7. Before leaving, be sure to close the windows.
  8. Install a device that turns the lights on at dusk.
  9. For apartment renovations or equipment repairs, hire only teams recommended by friends.
  10. If you lose your keys, replace the lock immediately. Perhaps you did not lose them at all—they may have been stolen from you?
  11. Do not keep all your money and valuables in one place. Also do not hide money in sugar, flour, a linen cupboard, under plant pots, or in the freezer. These places are well known to thieves.
  12. If you realize that a stranger has been in your apartment, notify the police immediately. Do not touch anything, close the windows, or clean up.

REMEMBER! There is no better protection for your home than a good neighbor who will look after your belongings while you are away. We should also take an interest in strangers who appear near our houses and apartments. Pay attention to people entering the stairwell; ask whom they are looking for. Our vigilance and interest may persuade a potential thief to abandon the burglary.