Don’t Get Tricked: Your Halloween Home Security Checklist!
Easily Protect Your Home on Halloween It’s almost that time of year when the ghouls and goblins come knocking at doors, asking for a trick or a treat. If you aren’t home because you are enjoying Halloween festivities or taking your own children to knock on doors, the last thing you want is for the trick to be on you. Having a good home alarm system on your home is one way to protect it from tricksters with far less than pure motives. However, there are other things that you can do to make sure you’re keeping your home safe inside and out among the Halloween mischief. 1. Inside and Outside – Candles You might want to light candles inside and outside your home for that spooky Halloween glow. However, trick-or-treaters can easily knock over lit candles outdoors. Similarly, indoor candles create a fire risk, especially if you don’t watch them. Instead, use LED tea lights or orange string lights. These safely light your home for Halloween. 2. Inside – Keep the Lights On When you trick-or-treat with the kids or attend that Halloween party, leave your lights on. This way, no one knows you’re not home. Even though many trick-or-treaters are around, thieves might try to enter through the back or a hidden area. 3. Outside – Surveillance If you don’t already have video surveillance outside, now is the time. This can be part of a good home alarm system. With outside surveillance, you can catch those that vandalize your property. Unfortunately, spray paint, toilet paper, and smashed pumpkin pranks are common on and around Halloween. 4. Outside – Jack-O-Lanterns There’s nothing like having a good old Jack-O-Lantern sitting on the front porch, but do you use real candles? You may want to replace those candles with LED lights so that you don’t have an unsupervised flame outside. Unfortunately, Jack-O-Lanterns can be kicked or tipped over and that means the flame within could escape. 5. Inside – Strange Visitors It is very important that you not let children and their parents inside your home during Trick-or-Treat. A thief may be counting on this because it helps them case homes. All it takes is one peek inside and your home becomes a target. Sitting outside at the bottom of your porch steps is best. It keeps children from having to walk up steps and keeps thieves’ noses out of your business. 6. Outside – Handing Out Candy You don’t necessarily have to stay home in order to hand out candy. If you are part of a church that does a “truck-or-treat” event or any other organization that sets up in a parking lot and hands out candy, that may be your best bet. It keeps thieves from seeing where you live. Just remember that you want to set your home alarm system before you leave so that your home is safe while you’re gone. 7. Outside – Outdoor Lights Make sure your outdoor lights are working. Having security lights and other exterior lights lit up means people with less than pure motives will most likely stay off of your property. If they aren’t working, replace bulbs accordingly. Better lighting also helps outdoor video surveillance pick up vandals and thieves that may come onto the property. 8. Inside and Out – Decorations Make sure that indoor and outdoor decorations are a reasonable distance away from lights. Even if a strand of lights seems safe, it’s just better to be safe than sorry when decorating. There is an unfortunate history of strand lights catching holiday decorations on fire. 9. Outside – Know Trick-or-Treating Hours Make sure you know Trick-or-Treat hours. No one should be trick-or-treating after a certain time. If they are and they are knocking on your door, don’t answer the door. 10. Inside – Lock it Up Even if you’re home, make sure you keep your doors and windows locked at all times. You could be handing out candy on your front porch and someone could be walking in your back door or climbing through a window knowing they have a few minutes without getting caught because you’re busy handing out candy. Let SPS Fire & Security Protect Your Home So here you have ten tips for keeping your home secure and safe during Halloween. It is a fun time of year and there is nothing like seeing happy children getting treated while wearing a wide array of costumes. What’s not so fun is realizing your home has been broken into and that you have become a victim. Remember some key points, which are to arm your home alarm system, keep it locked, never let strangers inside of your house, and keep everything safely lit up. To learn more about how to protect your home, call us today at 585-770-0348. We serve the Rochester, Syracuse, and Buffalo, NY areas.