Personal safety Tips / Safety in and around the home

The first line of defense you have against burglars and people trying to attack you in your home, is high fencing, preferably electric. If they can't get in easily, or can be seen trying to gain access to your property, then they can't hurt you or your family.

If people need to call you to open the gate, then it's better to have an intercom or a CCTV system, instead of having to go outside the house to know who you’re letting in.

Ensure that your windows have bars, and your doors have security gates that are kept locked. People get complacent and forget to lock these all too often, so make it part of your everyday routine to lock the doors and place the keys in hard to reach cupboards. It may sound obvious but at night ensure all your windows and doors are securely locked, and that your burglar alarm is set.

At night good lighting is essential to your safety in the home. Make sure the area round the house is well lit, so that if you look out of a lighted room through the window, you can still see what is happening in your immediate area. Lots of light will also aid in scaring off potential housebreakers, as they are too visible to be guaranteed enough time in the house, should they be spotted.

Know all your passwords, duress passwords and codes and teach them to your children incase they need them.

Ensure you have a phone in the bedroom or one that you can carry to the bedroom at night. If you have an answering machine try to be as vague as possible about whom lives there. If you are a woman on your own or with children then get a male friend to do a short invitation to leave a message. Messages such as 'Hi this is Laurie, I'm at class right now, but I'll call you back as soon as I get in at nine tonight, thank you', aren't actually voice mail messages, they are invitations to be a victim.