Home Security Tips for Your Knoxville Home

Did you know that every 15 seconds in the US, a burglar breaks into a home and steals over $1700 worth of personal property on average? It is not hard to get into most homes, which is a frightening but true fact. The risk of being seen breaking in is more of a deterrent than a subpar lock, and since most residential robberies happen in broad daylight, that risk is apparently not an overwhelming one for robbers. Most people are careful, yet burglary is still relatively commonplace. So how do you protect yourself and your family from being victims of a robbery in Knoxville? Let’s examine.

Install an Alarm

While this may seem obvious, an alarm can be a huge deterrent for criminals because it is loud and it draws attention, not to mention it calls the police. An alarm is mostly for peace of mind though, because to initiate the alarm sound the criminals have either broken in or are in the middle of robbing you. But if you want an alarm to really protect, the criminals have to know it's there before they target you. That means displaying that unsightly notice with the alarm company's name on it, and displaying it prominently, outside the house.

Don’t Broadcast Travel or Purchases

Saying how much you love your new flat screen TV is teasing a criminal to try and take it from you. Ditto for expensive cars, jewelry, designer goods and more. Be modest in your everyday life and in your online persona. If we've learned anything in the last decade, it's that the Internet does not discriminate by intention. Pedophiles, hackers, cannibals and burglars get access like everybody else.

Don’t Hide Keys in Obvious Places

When you hide your house key in an obvious place, you may be reducing your inconvenience in the case that you lock yourself out or need a friend to pick up the mail when you're gone, but you're increasing the chance you'll find yourself in the much more inconvenient position of being robbed. It's best not to have an extra key anywhere on your property. The safest place for a spare key is with a trustworthy neighbor or two.

Invest in Floodlights and Motion Sensors

When looking to make your house less of a target, one of the best fixes is lighting, both outdoor and indoor. It's partly about minimizing the appearance of vacancy inside the house (which burglars look for), and partly about shedding light on would-be intruders outside the house.

Make Sure Everything Locks

Doors, windows and locks are not places to skimp on cost. If you’ve just moved to Knoxville and into a new home, you might need to change the doors and windows. To ensure top level safety,

- The door should be either solid wood or metal, so it holds.

- The strike plate should be the heavy-duty kind, secured with four, long (3-inch) screws.

- The lock should be a deadbolt or a knob-in-lock set with a dead latch.