Security Tips

Here are some basic tips and tricks to keep your home or small business safe. Criminals these days are a lot smarter than we think. Recent crime statistics show that home burglaries are on the rise.

LOCK YOUR DOORS

At Security Direct, we often hear from our clients that they forget to lock their doors at night, only to wake up in the morning and find out that they have been broken into and valuable items are missing. Almost 30% of burglars enter a home through an unlocked door or window. To prevent this from happening, we recommend making it a routine to go around the house every night before bed and physically check that all doors are locked by pulling or pushing on the door.

Over sharing on social media

You might not even realize the ways you’re making your home more vulnerable to burglaries on social media. Posting photos of your home with the address plaque visible, sharing your address through online event invites or public comments, or sharing the details of your upcoming extended holiday are all ways you open yourself up to an increased risk of home invasion. avoid making certain thing public. Think Twice before posting on socials is something we highly recommend

Burglars usually go to the master bedroom first.

Unfortunately, most people don’t hide their valuable items carefully, and burglars know it. Once they break in, burglars head straight for the master bedroom, where they scavenge through dresser drawers and nightstands, look under mattresses, and search closets. Cash, jewelry, and weapons are some of the things a burglar wants most from your home.

Avoid hiding assets in the main bedroom. Security Direct recommends having a secret hiding spots for larger valuble items such as camera's, laptops and fine jewlery. We highly recommend having a hidden cupbord if budget allows you to do so.

front wall with an electric fence installed by security direct

Avoid putting your empty TV box by your rubbish bin.

There aren't many better feelings than getting a brand new TV or any electronic device. Avoid putting these boxes in or outside your rubbish bin. Instead, take them to the local skip yourself. When we put our TV box or any electronic device outside on rubbish day, we are advertising the fact that we have a new item in the house. Local scrappers can easily pass on this information to burglars, so it's important to dispose of the boxes properly.

Burglars tend to avoid homes with a security system

About 60% of convicted burglars stated that the presence of a security system influenced their decision to target another home.

Consider a typical street in South Africa with a home that has a decent-sized electric fence and a home that has no electric fence. These criminals are opportunistic and will always choose the easier target. Why bother with a home or business that has electric fencing, outdoor passives, and a CCTV system when their neighbor has only a 6-foot fence that can be easily climbed?