How to Protect Your Home From Looters

We’re hearing a lot about violent protests in American cities these days. While much of the destruction usually centers on downtown areas, some people’s homes are also targeted.

Of course, we’re also seeing many examples of extreme weather. Hurricanes, tornadoes and windstorms bring heavy property damage and deaths. Wildfires scorch the earth and threaten lives.

Protests and natural disasters have something in common. They both lead to chaos. And that makes it easier for looters to prey on the innocent.

One of the reasons looters emerge during natural and manmade disasters is they know some people have evacuated their homes. And because the power often goes out during emergencies, some security systems are disabled.

Home defense is the key

Today I want to talk about some of the things you can do to protect your home. It’s important because thugs often try to take advantage of law-abiding citizens during a crisis.

Hopefully you have prepared for an uncertain future with stockpiles of food, water and other supplies. If so, you want to protect that investment.

I’m going to leave guns and other weapons out of this discussion. I’m sure you’ve already decided whether or not they are right for you.

With a strong home defense system, you can not only protect your home, but also yourself and those most important to you.

The first and best thing you can do to keep looters at bay – regardless of what brings them near your home – is keeping them outside.

10 ways to keep looters at bay

Here are 10 tips for securing your home against looters. Please take them to heart. They could make the difference between invaders choosing your home or moving on to another one.

Install secure doors. A door is the most likely entry point an intruder will use. Keep your doors locked whether you’re home or away. Solid wood doors or metal-clad doors are effective.

Upgrade your locks. Grade 1 or Grade 2 deadbolts, accompanied by heavy-duty brass strike plates, should keep doors from being kicked in.

Install secure windows. You don’t want windows that can be manipulated from the outside. Keep your windows from opening more than six inches. Consider installing mounting brackets now so you could quickly install window bars later if necessary.

Secure the perimeter of your home. Install motion sensor lights around your home. Fences can be climbed, but having one might be enough to make an intruder choose a different home. Keep shrubbery trimmed to reduce the number of hiding places on your lawn.

Install an alarm. The louder the better with an alarm. Even if you don’t have a full-fledged security system in place, the noise could scare away an intruder. Post signs regarding your alarm near entrances. Make sure your children or grandchildren know how crucial it is to keep alarm codes confidential.

Secure breach points. Take a walk around your home, inside and out. Look for areas where someone could enter without much trouble. If there is a seldom-used door to the outside, install a 2 x 4 barricade on the inside.

Join a neighborhood watch group. If one is not already in place, you may have to take the lead here. Neighbors watching out for neighbors can be an effective deterrent against looters.

Have a dog. Dogs can be trained in defense, or at least to bark when they hear a noise outside. If you can’t have a dog, you can still post a “Beware of Dog” sign in your yard.

Don’t make it obvious you’re away. When you’re out of town, lights on automatic timers are effective. Make sure newspapers aren’t delivered while you’re gone. Keep a car in your driveway. A trusted neighbor is important to have while you’re away.

Have a family emergency plan. Every family member should know exactly what to do if a looter enters the house. Getting out of the house quickly is best. But if that’s not possible, they should head to a previously designated “safe room.” Always keep a pair of tennis shoes, a flashlight and a cellphone by your bed.

Don’t open the door to strangers

Now, you can have the greatest home defense system in the world, but it could be undone by a wrong move. Make sure others in your household are on board with your strategy.

A family member might be the weakest link in your home’s defense. Home invasions by looters don’t always begin when someone busts open a front door or crawls through a window.

Rather, they often happen because naive homeowners believe stories about a delivery or a charity collection. Or a gas leak, a cable or telephone problem, or a person in distress who asks to use a phone or bathroom.

Never open the door to strangers. It only takes a second for someone to force their way inside. Once that happens, you’re at the intruder’s mercy. There won’t even be a sign of forced entry to tip off neighbors that you’re in trouble.

Steps you can take to prevent this include:

• Make a plan for every single time someone rings or knocks. Everyone in the house should know the rule is to never, ever open the door to strangers.

• Ask for an ID. If someone is delivering something, ask for identification and call the company if you have any suspicions.

• Use the peephole. Make sure you have a peephole with a good view of your front porch. You’ll also want a bright light so you can see who’s there.

• Don’t trust a chain latch. An intruder can easily kick the door in and break the chain, so it’s not safe to even partially open the door.

Solar Security Light

Earlier I mentioned the importance of having security lights outside your home. Looters become emboldened by darkness. So take that away from them.

My top recommendation is the Brand New 4Patriots Solar Sentry Security Light. These are the lights I have installed to protect my own family and property. Plus, the Solar Sentry Light is easy to install, with just two screws. No extra equipment required. Trust me, it’s that easy.

This "breakthrough in backyard security" is the ultimate defense against home invasions... without costing a fortune. Its 118 ultra-bright LED lights are highly-efficient with a wide-angle spread. So you can shine a light on backyard security breaches, brighten up your blindspots, avoid trips and falls, and so much more.

Plus it can stay lit for the entire night. Your Solar Sentry Light is powered by a 2200 mAh rechargeable lithium-on battery. It blasts up to 10 hours of ultra-bright light when set to Continuous Directed Security Mode.

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