Here are some basic things you can do to crime proof your house or apartment. Do some of these things and you can sleep soundly at night even if you fear there’s someone out there.
- Set up video cameras around the outside of your house.
- Along with (1), if you can afford it, buy a home security contract, which can help manage these and additional details, such as intruder alarms.
- If possible, sleep in a bedroom above ground level, so there is no window access to your bedroom (or not without difficulty). If on the ground floor, put up a screen, like a mosquito screen, on the window so it is more difficult to get open and through. In more extreme cases, like a bad neighborhood, you can put bars on the window.
- Secure all your windows and doors, and any other entrances such as basement bulkheads, cellar doors, and the garage. Make sure everything can either be locked or can’t be opened. Doors should have deadbolts or pick-resistant locks.
- Secure sliding doors by putting a removable freestanding cylindrical rod of wood or metal in the tracks after you shut/lock it for the day. You can also install various security bars or latches in addition to the main lock.
- Close and lock all your unlocked doors and windows before you go to bed every night. If it’s the summer and you want to leave the window partway open at night, make sure you have a screen and some kind of window lock so it can’t be pushed open further.
- Leave a porch or front door light on when you go to bed.
- Buy a German Shepherd or a similar dog like a Great Pyrenees that can alert you if something is off and will protect you and its territory if it has to.
- Get a tactical flashlight of at least 300 lumens and up to 1000. This will help you if something goes bump in the night. Also, by shining it directly at an intruder it will temporarily disorient or incapacitate them, forcing them to retreat.
- Do not give away keys to your house or key codes to other people unless you really trust them. Also don’t put your address on your keychain as if you lose it, burglars will find it easy pickings. Don’t make it easy to find your house just because you lose the keys.
- Do not leave valuables lying in clear view of your windows and don’t make your house an obvious target for criminals or vandalism. You don’t always want to stand out.
- Mow the lawn, trim the hedges, and fix broken things. Keep up with the house so people know there is someone there and it’s not abandoned. Don’t have overgrown weeds or junk lying all around.
- Last resort. Get a secure quick access safe, such as one that flips open with a keypad, where you can keep a weapon. Make sure it can only be opened by you or a loved one and not by children, guests or thieves. A small safe can easily be kept in or near your bedside table. If possible, apprehend the criminal. Be aware of Oregon self-defense laws.