Securing your home: Why you need a security checklist

Burglary, theft, vandalism, are some of the common crimes reported in the country but did you know you can easily secure your home against this criminality? A security checklist could bail you out.

Perform inspection
You need to perform regular inspection of your home or that house you are renting. The Inspection should be both outdoor and indoor. The inspection can be done on your doors, windows, locks, roof, and walls. Outdoor inspection may include your fence, lighting system and surrounding environment. Alex Bwogi, a police detective attached to Mbarara Central Police Station, says most of the house break-ins and thefts are first monitored and that these tend to take advantage of any weakness around your homes.
“Thieves may start digging a tunnel to your bed room a week before starting from the fence. Some monitor if you have broken window seal, hollow door to gain acess. So regular inspection will help you to replace some of the weak and outdated security systems,” says Bwogi.

Keep your outdoor neat
Shrubs and bushes around your home can attract criminals, these can act as their hide outs. Trim trees and clear bushes around you house and replace them with flower gardens.

Light up the landscape
A dark home poses a number of security risks for you and your family. This will not scare away criminals but also helps you to spot obstacles and potential dangers along the way.
You therefore need to install lights around your home to include the fence, walk ways, and compound.

Involve family members
You need to sit down with the family members engage, and discuss a security plan for your home. Bwogi says having security measures without involving family members because criminals may exploit this ignorance to attack.
He says there should for instance, be rules on opening the gate, doors to the family members and strangers, should know how to use security systems such as alarm bells when they sense danger, inspection of doors and windows before they sleep.

Get a security system
A security system remains key in securing your home. This may include a video surveillance, alarm and motion sensors. Bwogi says relying on the strengths of your doors, window and padlocks not enough because some of the break-ins are by forced entry. He says most security systems have alarms that would scare off the-would be criminals.

Know your neighbours
Knowing and developing a social bonding with your neighbours can be helpful in securing your home because these can be the first to help in case of any attack or when you are away. Having good relationship with neighbours is very key in securing your home and property.
Neighbourhood watch
Bwogi says when you move or settle in an area, learn to influence positively and that one of these ways starting a neighbourhood programme in case there is no any in that area. He says this can be one of the resources to rely on for security.
“Most rich people are a target of criminals in their residences because of the individualistic character, they assume they have everything but that poor neighbor is your first contact person in case of a problem, not even police,” says Bwogi.
Change your locks
These days duplicating keys to your locks is very easy so some of these criminals can do background check on your locks and duplicate the keys but constantly changing your locks can create chances to fight this. Also when you move to a new home where people have been living, you need to change locks because they may be having more sets of keys to this home. So for security reason you to always change and upgrade your locks.

Types of CCTV cameras
Bullet Type Cameras are designed for capturing images in a fixed area. These cameras are recognised by their thin and cylindrical design. There are also classifications of Ultra Bullet distinguished by their smaller size and cheaper price.
Dome Cameras, named after the shape of their housing are designed for in-store installations. It works in two ways as it is unobtrusive but visible, thus, it warns people that the area is protected by a CCTV network and gives comfort to its clients for its security.
Discreet CCTVs are cameras in disguise, they could look like a fan or any other thing that would not seem suspicious in the area.
Infrared Cameras are designed for evening lookouts. It captures images with the help of its infrared lighting surrounding its lens.
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