Your Home Security
Your home
Home security is the best way to reduce your chances of being burgled. A lot of burglaries are spur of the moment, as a burglar may see an open window or other easy point of entry and take their chance.
 
 Basic tips
When you go out, always lock the door and close the windows – even if you are just
    going out for a short time.
Window locks, especially on older windows, will help stop people getting in (and
    remember, a burglar is less likely to break in if they have to smash a window).
If you have deadlocks, use them. They make it harder for a thief to get out again. But
    don’t leave the key near the door or in an obvious place.
Don’t leave spare keys outside or in a garage or shed, and put car keys or garage keys
    out of sight in the house.
Use timers for lights and radios if you need to be away from home overnight. They will
    create the impression that someone is in.
Visible burglar alarms, good lighting, and carefully directed security lighting can put
     burglars off. But make sure that lights don’t disturb your neighbors, and that alarms
     turn off after 20 minutes.
Fences at the back of the house may make this area more secure, but walls and solid
    fencing may let a thief break in without being seen.
A good compromise is chain-link fencing, or trellises with prickly shrubs.
Fitting a ‘spy hole’ allows you to see who is at the door.
Having a door chain means that you can open the door a little way to talk to them.
Make sure that any improvements you make don’t stop you from getting out of your
    house as quickly as possible if there is a fire.
Who can help you do this?
A good compromise is chain-link fencing, or trellises with prickly shrubs.
Tenants
If you rent your house or flat, your landlord has some responsibility towards its security.
    If your home is not secure, ask your landlord if they will make necessary improvements.
    It will be cheaper for them to fit window locks than to mend a broken window. If you live
    in social housing or in a block of rented flats, forming a tenants’ association might make
    security easier.
Homeowners
Spending money on security measures can seem daunting, but it is a good investment,
    will last a long time and can add value to your property. Contact your council or local
    police and local locksmith for help. They may be able to advise you on the best
    measures to protect your property, and may even have grants to help cover the cost.
Protecting your property
Planning permission
There are laws (zoning regulations) which govern many of the changes you can make to
    the outside of your home, and may, including building walls and fences. However, you
    do not need to apply for zoning permission for everything.
Unless you live in a zoned building, or your board has removed your ‘permitted
    development rights’ (your rights to carry out limited development without applying for
    planning permission), you can build a fence or boundary wall but check on how high it
    can be, and if it will be next to a road or footpath,
If you use barbed or razor wire, you may be in a Liability area ,you must take reasonable
    precautions to prevent injury to other people caused by dangers on your property. If you
    are building a wall on the boundary with your neighbors, you may need your neighbor's
    permission . If you live somewhere, such as an estate, where there are building
    restrictions in force, you may need to get special permission.
For more information
If you are not sure whether you need to apply for zoning permission, you should contact
    the zoning board in your area.

Personal safety at home
Securing your property will make you safer in your home, and make your home and your
    belongings safer while you are out. Here are some guidelines for dealing with different
    situations you may find yourself in.
Intruders
If you think you have an intruder, only you can decide how to deal with the situation.
   Think about what you might do now – you might not be thinking clearly in a real incident.
You may respond differently if you are alone in the house, or if there are other people
    there.
You could make a noise and hope it puts them off, or keep quiet and hope they don’t
    come into your room.
You could keep a phone in your bedroom so you can raise the alarm. This may also
    make you feel safer.
It is generally best not to challenge an intruder.
Interrupting burglars
If you come home and find a broken window or lights on, and you think there may be a
    burglar inside, you may think it best not to go into the house.
Go to a neighbor's house and call the police, or ring the doorbell – someone who should
    be in the house will come to the door, whereas intruders are likely to run away.

           Abusive phone calls
If you get an abusive or threatening phone call, do not respond to it. The caller wants a
    strong reaction from you.
Put the receiver next to the phone and move away. Return some minutes later and hang
    up.
You may want to make a record of when you receive the calls, so you can see if there is
    a pattern.
Dialing *69 may help you see where the  number came from. Some phone companies
    offer a service which blocks calls from people who have withheld their number.
  At night, unplug your phone or turn the ring off, so you are not disturbed.
  Do not give your name or number when you answer the phone
  If you are receiving many abusive calls, contact your phone company or the police for
     help.
Bogus callers
  Most people who come to your door will be genuine callers. But it’s best to make sure.
  Fitting a door chain or spy hole will help you check who the caller is.
  If you were not expecting someone to call, a genuine caller will not mind waiting outside
     while you contact their company. Find the phone number in the phone book, or look on
     your last bill.
  Most companies have a password scheme.
  If you let someone into your home, even if it is someone you know, and you become
     uncomfortable, make excuses and leave. Go to a neighbour’s house, or ask a friend to
     come back with you.
The Law on Self Defense
Under the law you are entitled to use reasonable force in self-defense or to protect
    another person or your property.
The force that it is reasonable to use in any situation will depend on the threat that you
     are facing. For example, the level of force that you can use to defend your life is
     greater than the force you can use to defend your property.
  What ‘reasonable force’ is will depend on the circumstances of each case, and is
     something that only the courts can decide.
This does not mean that if you injure a criminal while defending yourself or your
    property you will necessarily face criminal charges.
  But if the criminal complains that you have used unreasonable force, the police must
     investigate.
In the heat of the moment and in a panic it may be hard for you to assess the level of
    danger that you face. However, if charges are brought against you, the courts take
    account of what was reasonable for you in those circumstances – they will make some
    allowances for ‘heat of the moment’ panic.
The courts believe that if you did only what you honestly and instinctively thought
     necessary to prevent a crime, that would be strong evidence that you used only
     reasonable force. Generally, the courts use common sense and take account of what
      it is like to be faced with a violent or possibly violent criminal.

The law does not allow you to retaliate. Punishing criminals is a matter for the courts
    and you must not take the law into your own hands by trying to punish an offender for a
    crime committed against you, your friends or your family.
Students
As a student, you will probably live in shared housing, either in halls or in a shared
    house. Following the advice on personal safety and property will help keep you safer.
These points may also help.
  In halls, be careful about locking your door, even if you are just going down the
     corridor.
  Make sure that main entrance doors close behind you, and don’t let other people in
     with you.
In a shared house, follow the security advice given earlier about protecting your
    property. Your landlord should be able to help.
Be aware that you are likely to have more electronic goods (stereos, computers and so
    on) than many households. You should think about getting insurance to cover these in
    case they are stolen.
Over Christmas and summer holidays, when it is likely that the house will be empty for
    a long time, see if anyone will be around to keep an eye on things, and use the security
    advice earlier in the section. This is particularly important if you live in a student area.
  Visit www.good2bsecure.co.uk for more tips for students.
Older people
     Older people may feel more vulnerable to some crimes, but are actually less likely to
     become victims. A few simple steps can also help reduce your risk of crime.
Think about getting a personal alarm to use if you trip or fall at home.
Don’t keep large amounts of cash at home – use a bank account instead.
Look after your pension book carefully.
Ask your landlord to fit door chains and spy holes, or ask the council to help you if you
    own your home.
    Many councils have security schemes that are aimed at older or more vulnerable
    people. You could ask them for advice. See the section on bogus callers
 Protecting your property
Computers
    Computers are a popular item to steal. Making sure your home is secure will help guard
    against this, but there are some extra steps you could take.
Keep your computer in a locked cabinet, or lock the door to the room you keep it in to
    make it harder to steal.
Use security screws and bolts to make it harder for people without the correct tool to
    open the casing to steal parts (but check with the manufacturer that this does not affect
    any guarantee).
  Use passwords, make back-up copies on disk and ‘watermark’ documents. This will
    help protect your copyright and will mean you have a copy of your work if the computer
    is stolen.
  Be very careful with financial information. For example, don’t send your bank details in
   an e-mail. If you are ordering goods over the internet, make sure the company has a
   secure server.
  If you need to carry a laptop computer with you, try to be discreet about it. Many
     laptops have distinctive bags, so try to put it in something else, and follow other
     personal security advice. It may also be useful to carry disks in a different place.
 
 


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