Use These Strategies To Make Your Home Safe On Halloween
Halloween is an exciting time for people of all ages, but it's also an evening that sees many people engage in mischief, vandalism, and other criminal acts. If you're concerned about the security of your home on Halloween night, it's important to keep your home security system turned on once you're done opening the front door for trick-or-treaters. You can't reasonably have the system engaged while people are constantly visiting your front porch, but this doesn't mean that your home's security should fail to be a priority during this time. Here are some useful strategies to put into place on Halloween.
Keep Your Exterior Cameras Running
Even if your security system itself isn't turned on, you can still have the system's exterior cameras recording the scene outside your home. This can be advantageous as a deterrent. If the cameras are clearly visible, neighborhood pranksters who may wish to target your home with raw eggs or your trees with toilet paper will assume that they're being recording, and hopefully think twice about their plans. In the event that your home ends up being targeted by Halloween pranksters, you can turn the footage over to the authorities to hopefully help with the investigation.
Use Your Motion-Activated Lights
Many home security systems include motion sensors that trigger the lights outside your home. If your system has this feature, make sure that the sensors are turned on. This will illuminate your driveway, front walk, and yard whenever anyone approaches. The light will be useful for trick-or-treaters, as it will help them see the path in front of them clearly, while also acting as a deterrent for any pranksters who may be prowling around your home. As soon as someone enters the yard, the light will turn on and hopefully scare the individual off. If someone does decide to target your house, the combination of the lights and your security cameras will catch the act.
Open Your Door With Discretion
Some thieves target homes on Halloween with the assumption of knowing that the homeowner will widely open the front door upon the doorbell being used. This can allow a home invasion to easily occur. Don't make this mistake. When you hear the doorbell, always take a moment to look out a window or out the peephole in your door to identify that trick-or-treaters are indeed on your front porch. Taking a peek will only take an extra second, and then you'll be able to freely open the front door without any concerns for the safety of your home or your family.
Talk to a local security company, such as Safeway Security Systems, for more ideas.