By
in
Headed out of town? Vacation times are notorious for attracting intruders. Here’s a Top 10 security checklist for any time you’ll be gone away from office or home for more than 24 hours.
1. Mail & Newspaper Delivery. Put your postal mail and newspaper delivery on hold. This way, potential intruders will not see a backlog of deliveries to your home, signifying your absence.
2. Caretaker. Get a trusted individual to monitor your premises. Talk with someone about coming over every couple of days. They would disarm the alarm, turn lights off and on (if it’s night time), open and close window shutters, and overall check things out. They should come at random times. Depending on your needs, you might consider hiring a private security professional to accomplish these tasks. Ideally they would stay for a couple of hours – if not during all business hours and some evening hours – and a private security professional is adept at these types of security visits.
3. Windows & Shutters. Windows should be locked shut. In terms of shutters, you will need to assess whether it makes sense to shut none, some, or all of them. The dilemma is whether making it look obvious that you are away will be a disadvantage.
4. Make your outdoors neat and tidy. This way, no one will equipment you may have left outdoors. In addition, by leaving a clean slate you will not lead people to believe that no one’s around to clean up the mess.
5. Lock the gates. Don’t forget backyard, back entrance, basement, outside storage areas.
6. Order the gardener and lawn mower. You don’t want your outside areas looking unkempt, making it suspicious that you’re away. Hire your gardener and lawn mower to come at their usual intervals in order to maintain your routine aesthetics.
7. Timers for radio, TV, and yes, even A/C. Place a radio and a TV on a timer, preferably one that can be set for random times throughout the week. In addition, here’s a tip many don’t even know to consider: Leave your A/C on an energy-saving setting, also on a random timer. A working A/C is a strong indicator that the place is occupied.
8. Phone forwarding. Your phone message should not say you are away, but instead, the calls can be forwarded to your cell phone, or someone else in your company or family to take a message or handle directly. These days, a call can be routed pretty much anywhere anyway.
9. Upgrade your security alarm, camera, and lighting system. Does your office or home security system have the trio of security – alarms, cameras, and lights? If not, now might be the time for an upgrade.
10. Check, recheck, test, and retest your alarm system. This is crucial. You want to leave your office or home with the peace of mind that your preventative measures are in place. You might look into apps which allow you to track your system as well.
Security is a form of insurance. Hopefully the security measures you take before going away will ensure you come back to office or home in the same state you left it. The risk, otherwise, is returning to a damaged and/or burglarized place, and who wants that? Contact ISSM for more info on how professional private security services can assist you in keeping your office or home safe while you’re on vacation.
