Keep your home safe this Christmas

Householders are being encouraged to think seriously about how they can best secure their property before setting off this holiday season or risk starting the New Year minus some of their favourite possessions.

With many thieves seeing Christmas as an opportune time for criminal activity, it pays to take some time to evaluate security measures around the home.

“No one wants to get back from a holiday to find their home not the way they left it. Complacency about property security and thinking ‘it will never happen to me’ could make returning from a relaxing summer break a stressful experience,” said ADT Security’s Mark Norton.

It’s not just those planning to travel over the Christmas break that can benefit from investing a little time in ensuring their castle is secure.

“Between end of year work parties, catch ups with friends, Christmas Day with relatives and New Year’s Eve celebrations, most of us find ourselves away from home more often than usual in the summer months. Unfortunately this provides more opportunities for unwelcome visitors to target your home,” said Norton.

While a monitored alarm is widely acknowledged as one of the most effective deterrents, householders can enjoy further peace of mind and minimise their risk of break-and-enter by taking a few simple precautions.

ADT Security offers the following tips to help keep your home safe this summer:
- Inform your neighbours of your holiday plans so that they can keep an eye on your property and be sure to provide them with emergency contact details.
- Consider hanging old clothes on the line to give the impression someone is home or not away for an extended period of time.
- Avoid placing expensive gifts under the Christmas tree until close to the big day.
- Ask neighbours to put out your garbage bins on bin night (and offer to do the same in return for them when they need it).
- Lower the telephone ringing volume so that it cannot be heard from outside your home and avoid leaving a recorded message indicating that you are away on holidays.
- Make sure children don’t reveal holiday plans to strangers or online at websites such as facebook or My Space.
- Ask a friend or neighbour to collect your mail or direct the Post Office to hold it until you return. It’s also a good idea to have a ‘no junk mail’ sign to avoid piles of catalogues building up.
- Ensure your house has good exterior lighting; it is preferable to install sensor lights at entry and exit points of the house, as light acts as a deterrent to thieves. If possible, time these outside lights to switch on automatically at night.
- Leave a car in the driveway, if possible, or arrange for a neighbour to keep a car there and move it around from time to time.
- Consider installing a monitored alarm system. While some people place their faith in an unmonitored alarm in the hope that it will deter intruders, these are unfortunately often ignored by neighbours, especially if they frequently go off.

If an alarm system is in place the following additional steps are recommended:
- Ensure your alarm is in working order and has been serviced within the last 12 months.
- Advise your security company that you are going away.
- If you are hiring a house sitter, make sure they know how to use your alarm.
- Ensure you have clear signage indicating that you have an alarm system to deter burglars.

For further information visit the ADT Security website – www.adtsecurity.com.au

Media note: for further information and images please contact:
Corrina Frankham or Nicole Gentle, Write Away Communication + Events
Ph: 02 9978 1400 Email: corrina@writeaway.com.au; nicole@writeaway.com.au
Tamora Wells, ADT Security
Ph: 02 9947 7239 Email: tamwells@tycoint.com

ABOUT ADT SECURITY
With more than a century’s worth of experience ADT Security is the world’s largest electronic security company, providing electronic security solutions to more than seven million residential, commercial and retail customers worldwide,. ADT Security’s products include alarm systems and integrated security applications that link access control, CCTV, electronic article surveillance and source tagging systems. www.adtsecurity.com.au

Security Lic: VIC No. 65201491P | WA No. SA25942 | SA No. ISL152299 | NSW No. 405187443 | ACT No. 17501009 | QLD No. 3258669