11 Home Security Tips for the Holidays

‘Tis the sea­son to be jol­ly – but also vig­i­lant. The hol­i­day sea­son is indeed a time for giv­ing, but for crim­i­nals, it’s a time for tak­ing. The rates of rob­bery and theft tend to increase dur­ing the hol­i­days as thieves seek out valu­ables, vacant homes and unguard­ed pack­ages.

But that doesn’t mean you have to become a vic­tim. You can do sev­er­al things to bol­ster your home secu­ri­ty dur­ing the hol­i­days and pre­vent the Grinch from steal­ing your good­ies.

Here are 11 hol­i­day-sea­son secu­ri­ty tips rec­om­mend­ed by our experts and the Toron­to Police Ser­vice.

1) Be careful when discarding boxes from valuables. Did you get a big-screen TV or other valuables for Christmas? Conceal the boxes when tossing them with other trash so they don’t attract burglars.

2) Cancel/reschedule packages while you’re away. Don’t let deliveries pile up at your front door. This not only prevents “porch pirates” but also burglars who are looking for signs of a vacant home.

3) Use light timers or smart lights when you’re not home. This keeps your home well-lit and gives the appearance of someone inside, reducing the risk of burglary.

4) Arrange to have snow cleared while you’re gone. An uncleared driveway or walkway is an obvious sign that nobody has been home for days.

5) Ask neighbours to collect mail and newspapers. If you’re going away for a few days, be sure to have your mail, newspapers or other deliveries collected (or paused).

6) Close window curtains & blinds at night. Don’t let burglars see all the expensive gifts around your Christmas tree. Keep your curtains closed after the sun goes down every night.

7) Use a home security system. This will trigger an alarm whenever an unauthorized entry is attempted, such as when a door or window is opened. Additionally, if the system is equipped with alarm monitoring, police can be dispatched when the alarm is triggered.

8) Install security cameras. Like a home security system, the mere presence of cameras can help to prevent theft. But if it does happen, you’ll catch the crime on camera, enabling you to provide the footage to police and your insurance company.

9) Con­sid­er a video door­bell. Video door­bells are anoth­er type of secu­ri­ty cam­era that works like a door­bell. Dur­ing the hol­i­days, these are espe­cial­ly use­ful for mon­i­tor­ing pack­ages and peo­ple at your doorstep. You can receive auto­mat­ic alerts when activ­i­ty is detect­ed and com­mu­ni­cate with vis­i­tors through your device with­out open­ing the door.

10) Keep cash and valuables out of sight. Make sure that any valuables cannot be seen through your windows. This applies to valuable holiday decorations, too. If you display them, keep them out of sight from passersby or use light-filtering curtains to make it more difficult to see inside during the day.

11) Don’t share your holiday vacation on social media. You never know who’s paying attention. If you choose to share vacation photos, consider waiting until you return.

Is your home secure for the holidays? Let’s check together.

Con­tact us at PROTECTION PLUS to request a no-oblig­a­tion home secu­ri­ty audit to ensure you have the pro­tec­tion you need for this hol­i­day sea­son and beyond.