Home Security Tips

Helpful hints for home security

Household theft affects around 1 in 3 people in NSW. A secure home will help reduce the chance of a break in, so here are some easy steps to help make your home safer.

• Always lock all outside doors and windows when you go out, even if you are only going to be away for 10 minutes.
• Lock your external garage or garden shed with a quality key-operated lock or padlock.
• If you go out at night, leave some internal lights and a radio on.
• Trim trees and shrubs around windows.
• Do not leave keys hidden outside your house.
• If you are in the garden or watching TV, lock up parts of the house you can't keep an eye on.
• Lock away ladders, garden tools and bicycles.
• If you have a lot of jewellery, valuable documents, cash or other negotiable items, consider installing a safe or a burglar alarm.
• Never leave notes for people telling them you are out and when you will be back.

The most common entry points for a burglary are the garage, followed by the bedroom and kitchen. Make sure:

• Garage doors and windows are closed when you are in another part of the house and secured and locked when you are out.
• Windows and sliding doors in bedrooms and the kitchen are closed and properly secured when you are away from home.

Having security on your home can also act as a precautionary measure to protect you against burglary and theft. A range of home security measures are available, such as:

• Key-operated two-cylinder deadlocks fitted to all external hinged doors
• Key-operated lock or patio bolts fitted to all external sliding doors
• Key-operated single cylinder window locks fitted to all accessible windows
• Security grills or security screens fitted to all accessible windows
• Local type burglar alarm system installed in the home

This information is general in nature and is intended only as a guide.