THUNDER BAY – Many people are concerned about community safety. Keeping your home safer and your family more secure starts with you.
Doing a walking tour around your home can really help. Making sure the trees are trimmed around windows, making sure the lighting is sufficient are two simple steps toward home safety.
Having a solid core front and back door on your home is important too. So is making sure the door is locked. Even if you are home, working in the yard, working in the garage, or mowing the lawn or raking the leaves, having your door locked keeps unwanted people out of your home.
Proper Lighting
Having proper lighting around your home is key as well. The most common form of lighting is passive infra-red which is activated when someone comes into its field of vision. The light can be set to stay on for a set time and then it will re-set if the cause of its activation is no longer present. A passive infra-red unit can activate single or multiple lights.
Lights along the sidewalks to your front or rear door or garage are important for you coming home at night, and also for anyone approaching your home.
When you are coming home in the eventing as you approach, being able to see if anyone is hiding in the shadows can protect you.
However you should keep in mind for motion detector lights, dogs, cats, and other wild animals will also activate the lights. You should adjust the sensitivity of your outdoor lights to ensure that they are not activated every time your neighbours go into their garden.
Also it is important to make sure your lights do not intrude into your neighbour’s windows. With some of the new LED lights these can be solar powered and do not require external wiring. They can be a do-it-yourself project.
Alarm Systems
In Thunder Bay many people have installed home alarm systems. There are several options that Tbaytel offers.
A home alarm system can give you peace of mind, and also provide protection while you are asleep at night.
The cost will depend on the system you choose.
Knowledge is Power
In keeping your home and your family safer, it is important to be aware of what is happening in your immediate area.
Getting to know your neighbours, and forming your own informal neighbourhood watch as well as joining with the Thunder Bay Police Service for their neighbourhood watch are both good steps.
Often in today’s world, many people don’t really know their neighbours. One of your first lines of defense are your neighbours. Working together to build better neighbourhoods is a great way of making sure you and your family along with your home are all safer.
Join the Thunder Bay Police Service Facebook Page. Also set up an alert system for your neighbourhood on CrimeReports.
Much of what you can do depends on you and your family and on the professionals in our community.
