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Rioters, looters, robbers, oh my…do you have a home security strategy?

I grew up in a house where my dad taught his daughters to be mindful of their surroundings and to ALWAYS lock the doors!  My upbringing made me more aware of personal & home security, and it has served me well over the years.

Thinking about how to keep your family secure in times of chaos is absolutely essential to your prepping journey. This year home security became an even bigger part of my daily routine, but not because of prepping…

This year I had an employee that was somewhat unpredictable, had access to firearms, and who felt like I was part of the reason he was being held accountable for his actions. While never directly threatened, I was concerned that his frustrations might manifest themselves in a negative way towards me. I felt like the rational approach was to take a few calculated steps to be more aware of my surroundings and to add “additional layers of security” to my home, car, and person.

I got even more diligent about locking my doors and setting my home alarm system. I also got much more consistent with keeping a firearm with me when I was out and about (I have a concealed carry license). I purchased and installed a Ring doorbell, added a couple of home defense weapons to our collection, and I went to the range more to make sure I felt comfortable with my concealed carry weapon. I also spent time thinking about where I was most vulnerable and how I would respond to different threats.

I am not paranoid, but I am aware that bad things can happen. I try and do my best to reduce my risk and increase my sense of security, particularly in my home. Taking action gave me a sense of peace and calm during a somewhat volatile situation.

Hopefully, you won’t have this type of experience, but it doesn’t mean you can start taking extra security steps today to keep your family safe. As a prepper, security should always be on your mind.

Let’s start with the basics.

1. Be aware of your surroundings. Particularly for women, this is probably the best safety advice I can give you. Criminals look for easy targets, don’t be one! Look around when you are entering or exiting buildings and vehicles (this includes your home…a place where we can all get complacent). Have an idea of where exits are in any building you go into. Make eye contact and take note of any suspicious behavior. You don’t have to be paranoid, just aware. This step alone can reduce a lot of your risk. It’s also important to teach your children this simple approach to safety.

2. Make sure you have secure locks on your doors.  The majority of break-ins happen during the day through doors and windows of homes when no one is there. I am always amazed by how few people remember to lock their doors when they are out running errands or when they get ready for bed at night. Lock your doors and be consistent about creating good habits. Also, don’t forget to lock the door coming into your house from your garage!

3. Lock your windows! If like us, you open your windows in nice weather, it can be easy to forget to lock them when you close them. Don’t forget! For sliding glass doors you can install simple dowel rods in the slide to make it a little harder to get them open.

4. Get a security system. Based on recent studies, homes without alarm systems are 300% more likely to be burglarized than those with a security system. Make sure you post the stickers the alarm company gives you so everyone knows you have an alarm system. This is a great deterrent!

5. Consider a dog. Having a dog that alerts you to strangers near your house is also a great security measure. It doesn’t matter if your dog really just wants to play with the intruder, as long as they bark and make noise it will alert you if someone is near your home. Plus having a dog is just fun.

6. Have an evacuation plan for emergencies. Make sure your whole family knows where to go in an emergency. situation A good rule of thumb is to have a place to meet in your home, a place to meet in your neighborhood, a place to meet right outside of town, and potentially a place to meet further away depending on the situation. We often think about evacuation plans for natural disasters, but it is also worth knowing where you would go (and teaching your children where to go) if there is a home invasion.

Once you have these basics covered, you are probably ahead of most of your neighbors. However, unlike your neighbors, you are a prepper…(not a crazy one of course), but a practical and prepared family that’s ready for ANY emergency!

It’s important to remember during times of uncertainty or desperation, people are unpredictable. The recent riots and looting in our country are great reminders that our neighbors might not always be friendly. Mob mentality can make people take actions they’d never take on their own.

It’s a good idea to make your house less of a target. Depending on where you live and how volatile you think your area is, it may be worth upping your security game.

Upping your security game.

1. Install exterior video cameras or a video door bell (or both!). These cameras give you a way to see what’s going on outside your home without opening doors or windows. We have a Ring doorbell that allows us to see what’s going on in our front yard, and who is passing by on the street, or parking near our home. This type of system gives you more situational awareness about the normal patterns in your neighborhood. Most of the system can be accessed remotely via a smartphone, tablet, or computer. If you get an alert, you can monitor the situation and call the police if you need to. Added bonus, you can tell when the Amazon guy brings your next shipment of goodies!

2. Consider adding reinforced locks on your doors. Most door jams and locks are not super resistant to a kick (just watch NCIS to see how often they kick down doors!). Reinforcing your jams and locks can help secure your home from unauthorized entry, but an even better option is adding a door brace. One highly recommended product is NIGHTLOCK. These slide under your doors and make them virtually impossible to kick in.

3. Add prickly landscaping under windows. I found this tip in one of the books I was reading recently and it seemed like an easy, and potentially beautiful way, to increase your home security. Plant some rose bushes or other prickly plant under your first floor windows. The idea is that pricey landscaping will deter people from looking in and or hanging out too long! Plus you can add some curb appeal as you go.

4. Consider security fencing around your yard, or at least the back yard. Having secure fencing around your yard can also add an extra layer of protection for your home. Not all neighborhoods allow fencing, so make sure you check your local rules before you rush out to get this.

5. Purchase a firearm. Having a firearm in your home to deter intruders can save your life. Most people will think twice if they hear the sound of a shell being loaded into a shotgun…it’s quite a distinct sound! There are all types of advice on which weapon is the best home defense weapon. My recommendation is get what you are comfortable with and what you can shoot will relative accuracy. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. (And in case any lawyers are reading my blog, make sure you comply with local and state laws when purchasing a firearm!)

6. If you are really motivated, or live somewhere where tornadoes are a high concern, consider a “safe room” or at least a shelter-in-place space. You’ll have to decide what meets these criteria for your family. Some things to consider are reinforced doors and or walls, access to food, water, & medial supplies, someplace you can retreat to, and also escape from if the need arises, and some place where you can go to the bathroom if you are there for an extended period of time. Right now we have a room stocked with some basic supplies that we can use in the event of a weather disaster. Maybe some day I’ll have a really cool panic room…but not yet :)

Security is all about thinking through the threats you could face in your local area. We don’t want to get so paranoid that we turn our homes into bunkers, but simply being more aware of your surroundings and adding a few of the above suggestions to you security plan can help you keep your family safe and secure.

What security tips do you follow?