Keeping It Safe
How do you make sure your valuables are secure in your home? Step One: don't stuff them under the mattress. Step Two: read on...
By JASON OATWAY
So you've decided to sink some serious money into a diamond necklace. Great. Now you have to decide how to protect the investment--forget about stuffing it under the mattress. Residential burglary is an unfortunate fact of life, and everyone is vulnerable, including you. The odds that you may be robbed depend on a number of variables, but mostly on how easy you make it for a thief. Test your home with a mock break-in: If you were a burglar, how would you get in? If you can think of even one way, consider your home an easy target.
So, how do you keep your valuables safe? There's only one foolproof method. If you're not going to be wearing your diamonds every weekend, then the best option, according to Bob White of the Hong Kong Crime Prevention Unit, is to store them at your local bank. Nothing beats the security of a safe-deposit box, he says. But not all of your valuables can, or should, be locked away in a bank. If you want to have immediate access to your prized possessions, then you're going to want them at home.
For many of us, home means a flat in an apartment complex, where the building management often provides an extra layer of security. But White warns against putting all your trust in building security. Do what you can to make your home safer. Start with the front door--that's where most break-ins occur. "It's quite common for doors just to be kicked in," says White. "There are not that many lock-picking burglars out there--why pick it when you can kick it?" You'll want a solid hardwood door, at least 5 cm thick, with a dead bolt that has at least a 2.5-cm draw into the door jam. A gate across the door will also make kicking it in much more difficult.
If you live in a house, pay just as much attention to the back door and windows. Balcony doors can also be a problem. The standard fitted locks are often insubstantial and the doors are made of aluminum--a screw driver can pry them apart. Also, if the door slides on the outside of the fixed pane, then it can be simply lifted out of the runners. Add-on patio door locks can take care of this problem and are highly recommended.
Next, think of burglar alarms. These come in two broad types. The more sophisticated ones are linked to a central monitoring system, alerting the police to intruders. Or there's the stand-alone alarm, which emits a loud sound when tripped--hopefully a neighbor will hear the noise and call the police. To install an alarm system, enlist a trustworthy home-security consultant. Make sure the system you pick is user-friendly and can be readily adapted to changing household schedules in order to avoid false alarms.
The next step is to protect your valuables within your home. There are many gimmicky devices, known as diversion safes, that you can use. These so-called safes are designed to camouflage your treasure--a can of Coke, say, or a tin of soup. They look just like the real household products, but have screw-off bottoms providing access to a "secret" hiding spot. However, if they're popular enough to be hawked on the Internet, you can bet the average crook knows about them too. Burglars also know all about those supposedly clever hiding places at home--behind the bookshelf, in the socks drawer, in the flower pots.
Where, then? Veronica Chan, head of crime prevention at Singapore's National Crime Prevention Council, says you'd do well to just get a burglar-proof home safe. Make sure it's heavy, and that it's firmly bolted to a wall or floor. "Your safe should not be portable," Chan says. There's no point putting something in a safe that can then be picked up, taken away and cracked open at leisure. Let trained professionals handle the installation. Some of the newer safes, like the ones found in hotel rooms, are now digitally locked. For these, pick a pin number that a burglar won't be able to guess easily--avoid using your phone number, street address, or any other number that can be found in the home.
All these devices and ideas help protect your home when you're not around. But what do you do to prevent robberies that could happen while you're home? Common sense is your best defense, say the experts. "Don't open your door to strangers," Chan says. "A robber may try to enter your home under the pretext of being an inspector or deliveryman, showing fake credentials. You should always call their company before you let them in." Install a peep-hole in your door, as well as a chain to prevent the door from being opened any wider than you need to check someone's credentials. "If they do get inside, there is nothing much you can do--besides cooperate--without endangering your own life. Try to remember the robbers' features, but do not put up a struggle," advises Chan. After all, no diamond necklace is worth your life.
Six Ways to Stash Your Stuff
• Rent a safe-deposit box. Nothing beats a good bank vault. The drawback: you can only get your goodies during banking hours.
• Get a good home safe. Have it bolted to a wall or floor. Don't leave the combination for the lock where it can be found.
• Use empty condiment containers. Clean them out, put your valuables inside, then place at the back of the refrigerator.
• Place inside a used vacuum-cleaner bag. First wrap valuables in a separate bag, then stash it with the dust. Just remember it's there before emptying the vacuum into the garbage.
• Use the natural hollows in your walls. There are small spaces behind switches and light fixtures. Warning: electricity can kill.
• Bury in the yard. Extreme, yes. But quite safe. Just don't leave a detailed treasure map for a burglar to find.
For more information, contact the crime prevention unit of you local police department.
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