We were raised in a small industrial community of 10,000 people. We had a main street, a milkman, and once or twice a week Mr. Inzerello, the produce man, would drive by with his truckload of fresh vegetables.
There must have been some local crime, but stealing hubcaps was the worst we knew of. We didn't worry about our home being robbed. That just didn't seem to be much of a problem. We didn't lock our doors - even at night.
Things have changed. It's now important to know as much as you can about protecting the place in which you live. Whether one lives in a big city, small town or rural community, has a large income or small, is a homeowner or apartment dweller, burglary can be a serious problem. The biggest problem of all is that we tend to make the burglar's job easier. Believe it or not, burglary is one of the single most preventable crimes.
Thanks to the home-security experts at one of America's largest department stores, you can take the following quiz to find out just how much you know about home-security safety:
1. If you are planning to hide precious articles such as jewelry in your home, what room is likely to be the first searched by a burglar? Important papers should be kept in the freezer and small easy-to-pilfer valuables should be kept in a safe. a) Bedroom b) Kitchen c) Basement d) Bathroom.
2. Where is the most common place for a home fire to start? We'll give you a hint. The second most common place for a fire to start is in the garage. a) Kitchen b) Furnace Room c) Fuse Box d) A room with a fireplace.
3. You're planning a vacation and you need to secure your home during your absence. To help to discourage a home break-in, it is most important to: a) Use an automatic timer to turn lights on and off. Lights should turn on and off randomly. b) Have a neighbor park their car in front of your home and collect your mail. The car should be regularly moved. c) Not discuss your travel plans in public. d) Never leave your house keys outside your home especially on the top of the door trim or under the mat. e) Turn the bell or ringer on your telephone down. If you have an answering machine its volume should also be turned down. f) All of the above.
4. What is the leading cause of fires in the garage? a) Oil rags b) Internal oil tank c) Gas cans d) Arson.
5. You are awakened during the night by the sound of an intruder. What do you do? a) Scream for help b) Try to get out of the house c) Pretend you are asleep d) Turn on the lights.
6. A woman comes to your door and tells you that she has had an accident and would like to come in and use your phone. What do you do? a) Let her make her call, but stay with her b) Tell her you will make the call, but don't ask her inside c) Ask her to go elsewhere for help.
7. As more parents work, older children that are home alone should know how to help protect themselves. You should instruct them to: a) Never tell an unknown caller they are home alone b) Never answer the telephone unless they know who is calling c) Use answering machines to screen calls d) All of the above.
8. What percentage of home/apartment burglaries result when a door or window has been left open? a) 10 percent to 30 percent b) 30 percent to 50 percent c) 50 percent to 70 percent.
9. Typical crime victims tend to be: a) Single females, living alone b) Elderly couples c) Single, unemployed young males d) Suburban young families.
You don't have to go on vacation to practice home security. Keep doors and windows locked. Make sure that perimeter lighting is ample. Light places where a stranger could hide such as shrubs and behind the trash can. Get an alarm. And make sure to post stickers that say, "this home is protected by an alarm" on all windows and doors.
It might surprise you to know that professional burglars do not commit most burglaries. Burglary ordinarily involves someone you know.
Our aunt and uncle were concerned about burglary and had dead bolts installed at all of their exterior doors. The problem was that the locks had to be operated by a key from either side. They had made their home more secure at the risk of not being able to get out of their home in a fire. A dead bolt should be operated from the outside with a key and from the inside with a simple latch.
Rolldown window and door security blinds, steel security doors, window bars and other security devices that protect windows and doors should be easily opened from the inside. Not just by you but by youngsters and elders as well.
Answers: 1-a, 2-a, 3-f, 4-d, 5-c, 6-b, 7-d, 8-b, 9-c
If any of you has a helpful hint or tip that we can share with our
readers we'd love to hear it.
