7 Home Security Tips for Halloween Leave a comment

For most people, Halloween is a spooky yet fun, treat-filled holiday. But for others, Halloween is also associated with more tricks than treats. According to a study, there are on average “17% more crime-related claims on Halloween”. With so many people out on the streets at night and disguised in costumes, Halloween is the perfect night for thieves to commit their crimes undetected. However, you can help strengthen your home security on Halloween with these simple tips.

• Keep your lights on: Burglars will typically shy away from brightly-lit houses due to the risk of getting caught, so it’s a good idea to keep your interior and exterior lights on. Even if you’re going to be out of the house for the night, keep your lights on to make it seem like there’s still someone home. Another useful tip would be to install motion-activated floodlights. When they’re off, they’ll signal that you’re done passing out candy for the night but will automatically light up to deter any suspicious people who may come near.
• Keep your doors locked at all times: If you’re going to be passing out candy on Halloween, be sure to keep your door locked when you’re waiting for visitors. You may be tempted to leave the door unlocked to open the door faster for trick-or-treaters, but doing this can have serious risks. You don’t know who could be lurking around your house and waiting for the perfect opportunity to sneak in when your back is turned.
• Take in any hidden spare keys: Having spare keys hidden outside of the house is already a security risk, but Halloween is a day where you’ll definitely want to take them in. On this day, your property could have up to a hundred visitors and it’s possible that one of them will find your spare key and keep it to break into your home later. If you were able to think of a hiding place, then there’s a good chance that others have thought about it as well.
• Put away ladders: If you’re the type to love decorating your house for Halloween, be sure to give your home a good last inspection before inviting trick-or-treaters over. Double check to ensure that all ladders that you might have used for decorating are put away so that thieves won’t have an easy way to gain access to your house.
• Lock up cars in the garage: You might be so busy thinking about home security that you overlook your cars, but Halloween is primetime for vehicle theft and vandalism. Since there’s so many people out on the streets, it’s easier for car thefts to go unnoticed. Not only that, passing trick-or-treaters may accidentally scratch or ding up your vehicle. If you don’t want anything to happen to you car, then it’s best to take them into the garage.
• Be wary of the door: A frequent mistake that people make on Halloween is letting visitors see the inside of their houses when they leave the door open for too long. Halloween is a night where thieves are able to go from house to house and scope out their next target without arousing suspicion. Make sure that you don’t open your door too wide and for too long to let thieves see your valuables or analyze your floor plan for an easy escape route.
• Invest in a security system: When in doubt, invest in a home security system. A security system will allow you to monitor your house at all times so if a burglar comes during the night, you’ll be alerted so you can to take immediate action. A security system is also good if you want to avoid physical contact with any trick-or-treaters but still want to leave candy out on the porch for them to take. A camera at the door will allow you to monitor all of your visitors and ensure that everyone is only taking their fair share of candy.

Don’t let your home be the target of a spooky crime this Halloween. Amp up your home security with these tips and you’ll be in for a real treat. If you have any questions about how to use your home security system or are interested in investing in one, contact our sales team today!