Safety measures for your home this Easter

If your property is in an isolated area and you will be away, it is safer to hire a security guard to keep watch. Photo by Shabibah Nakirigya

What you need to know:

  • Mkaumbi adds that if you cannot afford a permanent security guard, you can even contact your local police station and to provide a courtesy home assessment that can help you identify your home’s weak spots and they can easily tell you for instance, that a window could be easily opened by robbers.

Erias Makumbi, a property manager, says, as we approach Easter period, people should know the safety measures they need to take to avoid danger. Makumbi says thieves take advantage of holidays to vandalise people’s property because some travel during that time.
Patrick Onyango, the police spokes person for Kampala metropolitan, advises people not to go to the village without leaving any trusted person behind to take care of their home.

Alert your neighbours
Adding to Onyango’s advice, Makumbi says one of the best safety measures is to let your neighbours know you are not around so that they can help keep an eye on your property. Vigilant neighbours can scare off thieves. “In this case, you can cooperate with the people in the area or to inform a friend who lives nearby that you will be away for certain period of time so that they can watch over your property,” he advises.

Makumbi adds that even for those who are not planning to travel, can agree with their neighbours to be vigilant on each other’s property.
Ensure you respond to alarms when they go off and keep an eye on strangers moving through the neighbourhood.

Use electronic monitoring systems
Najib Hassan, a dealer in monitoring systems, says you can check for weak spots and fix an electronic monitoring system, which can help you protect your property from intruders.
“If you have a house away from home, it is advisable to install electronic monitoring systems, which can help you to monitor the house using your mobile phone or any other gadget,” he says.
He adds: “Electronic monitoring systems help to spot the loose areas on your property because intruders take time to plan for a particular attack so ensure you tightened up your security before they attack,” he advises.

Hassan stresses that you should not make it easier for a thief to hide when attempting to break into your property, eliminate the hiding spots and use strong locks which would be hard for them to break.
“Burglars use hiding spots to break into your house but with no place to hide, they will be discouraged from trying to break in,” he says.

He adds that if your home is away from busy places, or in an isolated area, do not redecorate your entire house, or display expensive items because you will be attracting thieves.
Hire a security guard
Makumbi says whether it is a dormant property or not, it is very important to hire a security guard to watch over it.

“The security guard will be responsible for monitoring the property 24/7. The security guard should check out possible spots that thieves could use to break in,” he says.
Mkaumbi adds that if you cannot afford a permanent security guard, you can even contact your local police station and to provide a courtesy home assessment that can help you identify your home’s weak spots and they can easily tell you for instance, that a window could be easily opened by robbers.

Sheilah Namwanje, a property manager, says safety measures also help to keep encroachers off your property.
With multiple security system, intruders may find it hard to break in.

Keep fences, gates intact
Sheilah Namwanje, a property manager, says it is worth investing in a quality padlock for your gates and exterior doors, even if you only lock it at night.
Some people opt for counterfeit padlocks because they are cheaper but these can easily be unlocked by thieves. Besides, poor quality padlocks are easily affected by rust. Invest in a quality padlock to secure your home.
Never leave your entrance door open to allow intruders to see how they can break in.