PREVENT GARAGE BREAK INS
Our economy is going into a different cycle. It’s time to
secure your home. Let’s begin with your garage. Why you ask? Because you leave
the door open, its easy to steal the remotes from the visor of your car or use
many of the burglary tools on You tube to get in and steal your tools, golf clubs,
bikes, and beer in the garage refrigerator. They will carry it all off, and
maybe hang out inside for a day or two. Maybe your children will discover them in the act. Don't be a target to the lego bad guy just released above who will look far worse
How to prevent garage theft
Think about how a theft might enter the structure and secure
the automatic door opener from:
1. code grabbers
2. using a wire to pull the emergency release
3. hiding in or around the structure
Begin with the perimeter.
Add motion detector lights which can be purchased from your
local hardware store. I prefer True Value as they will talk with you about the
pieces you need, and the skill set you have or lack to accomplish adding a
motion light to the exterior and perhaps interior of the garage. First you want
this to be high enough to not be easy to unscrew the bulb, but also accessible for
you to maintain from a ladder. Second don’t leave the ladder out for them to
borrow. Many of these tips and tricks can be DIY and done in a day cheap and easy.
Trim back trees and bushes that allow hiding places for a
human. I know you love that shrub by the door, but consider the height and
depth of the bush- can a person hide behind it easily? Perhaps relocating the
plant to another area and changing to something thorny that is airy?
Add a camera which can communicate with your cell phone.
Add a garage shield that reinforces the doors.
Change the door to have a single sided dead bolt.
What can you change to lock from inside if the garage is
attached to the home or you are away on vacation?
There are many types of locks and bars to secure and
reinforce the big overhead door as well as side doors. These can be inexpensive
bolt locks, zip ties added to the overhead emergency release, unplug the power cord
when away on vacation, and add a small interior light on a timer.
I suggest you
make friends with trusted neighbors and share keys, or have a secure nearby
hidden
in a location to recover keys (not the doormat, not a flower pot, not the mailbox).
What habits leave you open to break in?
Having shiny things visible when the garage door is open or visible
from a garage window. Hide your toolboxes under a tarp. Cover your golf clubs
with an old blanket. It’s nice to have a pretty clean chrome garage interior
but don’t allow bad guys to see what is available to steal.
Don’t leave the garage overhead open.
Don’t have garage remotes visible in and unlocked vehicle.
Can you add a peep hole between the house and garage to view
before you exit?
Can you carry something that makes noise in your hand when
you walk from the garage to your home?
Each house situation is unique and may take time to consider
where you need to reinforce security to
Make the bad guys go pick on someone else.
