SIGNS BETTER SECURITY IS NEEDED

Do you need better security at your home or business? Sure, a little extra protection is always nice, but how can you tell if you really need better security? Maybe you don’t quite feel as safe as you once did. Or, an incident may have taken place in your neighborhood or commercial location which made you question whether your safety (and those of your loved ones or staff) is now compromised.

We remember when times were more innocent and interaction between neighbors, family members and co-workers was much more prevalent. Nowadays, it seems that more people keep to themselves and don’t want to get involved for fear of reprisal or possible legal action if something was to go wrong. So what’s the solution? You can’t be too trusting and you certainly can’t go through life being paranoid and always looking over your shoulder!

Learn to be aware!

People with bad intentions find it easy to take advantage of folks that are seemingly unaware. If you go about your business with no clue about the persons around you or the location you may suddenly be in then you make it easy for someone to hurt you, steal from you, or otherwise take advantage of you.

We’ve all seen shoppers leaving their purses unattended or wide open in the shopping cart while going to fetch a can of green beans at the other end of the grocery aisle. There are countless stories of home invasions or burglaries that took place because the resident didn’t bother to lock the door or close the window.

Whether you are here in Des Plaines, IL or anywhere else in the world you can greatly enhance your security by simply taking basic precautions like locking doors, closing drapes, keeping track of your keys, watching wallets and purses better and being more aware of the people and surroundings that you are exposed to. It’s a lot like crossing a street. When you were a child your parents taught you to stop at the crosswalk, look both ways and then proceed. Would you call that paranoid thinking or just common sense?

When at home

Whether you live in the “inner city” where crime is usually higher or in the more affluent neighborhoods of Des Plaines, IL or Greater Chicago you can be much safer by learning to lock your doors and windows whether you are home or not.

Set your alarm when away for extended periods, use a lock on your garage door when on vacation and close windows, drapes and shades at night or when it’s easy to see inside during the day. Burglars and sex predators are known to “scope the joint” before making their moves to see your times of coming and going and also to discover just who lives in the home along with the overall layout of the house.

It’s also a good idea to trim trees, bushes, hedges and shrubbery so that it’s not so easy to hide behind or to spring out of when watching or being aggressive to residents. Kidnappings still take place and human trafficking is at an all-time high so it’s best to take precautions especially when children or elderly are at home.

At your business

Many of the same precautions we mentioned above also apply to being safer at your business. Of course, you can’t keep the doors locked all the time; your customers and vendors wouldn’t appreciate that at all (nor would your accountant!). You can be sure that you are aware of suspicious looking or strange acting people, unusual activity, suspicious packages or strange looking mail deliveries. Keep your cash and other valuables locked up in a safe and have your office/store locks changed regularly so that you can keep better control over keys and their distribution among your staff and clients.

Rekeys and lock upgrades

You can apply this advice both at home and at your Des Plaines, IL business. Call a full service locksmith shop and have your door locks rekeyed, change out or upgrades. Any of these options will greatly increase your security as well as give you added peace of mind without costing you a lot of money in the process.

By rekeying your door locks, you cancel the ability of all old keys to work and are able to start fresh by having new springs and pins in the locks plus a new set of keys for your family members or employees. Rekeying also allows your locksmith to remove any remaining master pins that can cause your locks to wear out sooner or to be picked easier by intruders.

Lock upgrades include adding a deadbolt for a strong second line of protection. It also can include installing high security locks that are impervious to lock picking, lock bumping, prying, smashing and even lock shooting! High security locks are not expensive but their construction and installation can greatly extend your lock protection whether they are installed at home or at your business.

Choose a locksmith

We recommend that you choose a local Des Plaines, IL locksmith BEFORE you need one. Whether you want better home security or enhanced protection for your business, having a full service, licensed, bonded and insured lock professional on call 24/7 is a good thing to have! Most people wait until AFTER they need a technician to call for one. This gives you little time to ask questions about pricing, response times, mobile assistance, 24-hour service and other pertinent facts.

All locksmiths are NOT the same and you’ll want to work with a responsive, professional crew that has the experience, skill and training necessary to handle any locksmith need or service and on a 24/7 basis, too. When you find the shop that you feel you can work with, enter their telephone number into your smart phone, tablet and any other mobile devices that are in your household.

Do the same for your business managers and partners. Making these few, simple adjustments to your home and business environments can go a long way towards making you and your close associates safer and better protected.