There is nothing more important than a good, safe, secure home.
– Rosalynn Carter
The holiday season, for some, means more time spent relaxing at home with family and friends. Your home is your sanctuary and it is for this very reason that home safety, especially during the busy holiday season, should remain at the forefront of your mind.
Home safety does not only refer to physical measures i.e. locks on doors and windows, alarms in houses or secure perimeter fencing, it also incorporates behaviours that can enhance your sense of safety and well-being.
The spirit of generosity that is pervasive during the holiday season may very well lead to you relaxing your guard and ignoring your generally well developed sense of safety and self-preservation. The consequences of overindulging in this type of behaviour is that criminals will not hesitate to take advantage of you.
Do not be a statistic. Rather, whilst not suppressing your generous nature, display it in a manner that is less overt. Temper it with a healthy dose of reality. By doing so you will be taking proactive measures to ensure that your home safety and security is maintained through a more a conscious awareness of your circumstances.
5 Good home safety practices
- Do not block entrances or passageways with Christmas trees of decorations (this may impede your ability to enter or exit your home safely).
- Do not display gifts in large quantities in such a way that they may be visible through windows or doors (this provides temptation for opportunistic criminals).
- Do not make donations to people collecting door-to-door, often criminals will try to take advantage of your generous nature during the holiday season (only donate to charities you are familiar with).
- Do not allow anyone access to your home, unless you are certain of their credentials, criminals may pose as delivery persons wanting to deliver gifts (if uncertain as for identification and/or call the company to confirm before accepting anything).
- When hosting a party, make sure to find safe alternative transport for intoxicated guests or arrange for a designated driver to take them home (it is far easier to hi-jack a vehicle if the driver’s mental faculties have been reduced due to alcohol consumption).
Related Links
Comprehensive Travel Safety in SA | Cape Town Guide Website
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