Sunday, April 19, 2020


4 Spring Cleaning Tips for Keeping Criminals from Acting Criminal





I’m sitting here in my office writing this Blog post, while wearing a surgical mask.  My wife says, “I don’t have to wear it because I’m not out in public”.  I answered, “Well, I’ve heard my computer can get a virus, and I don’t want it to come from me, lady”. Touché


Like every good spring cleaning job, you have to set some goals.  My wife’s  - windows.  Mine - not falling off the ladder.


When it comes to security spring cleaning though, our first goal needs to be keeping criminals from acting criminal around my property.  Here are 4 tips:


Understanding that your property has a number of layers that you can use to you advantage is essential.  Those layers, if you have them are: property line, internal fence-line (if present), building facade and special spaces within the house.  For instance, I don’t have a fence in the front of my house but I do on the sides and back of the property, so my property line and fence-line are one in the same.  So for that reason, I look at every layer I do have and determine if I can deter, delay, detect and defend against a would-be aggressor breaking in and stealing my stuff.


Deterrence is kind of hard to define.  Mainly, because if the deterrent is perceived to be too tough, then it will get circumvented by those who are actually authorized, and then what’s the purpose of having it in the first place.  Besides, a dedicated threat will not be deterred.  He/she will bring the tools necessary to defeat whatever the deterrence is designed to do. Now, don’t get me wrong I’m not a defeatist.  I do believe you have to do whatever it is you can and evaluate what you’ve done honestly.  If there is still pain, do it some more.


Secondly, my goal is to slow a person down if they have ill-intent enough so that I can detect them.  So instead of a straight sidewalk up to my door, I have a sidewalk that meanders or crosses my front lawn, so while standing inside my living room or office I can see them as they approach.  If someone doesn’t follow the path of the sidewalk and traipses across my lawn then that is an indicator to me that something’s not quite right.  Now, it could be that the person is just lazy or too tired or it could mean something far worse.


Next remove all possibilities of hiding.  So bushes and shrubs that are within 10 feet of windows and doors should be removed.  If you simply must have them for aesthetic purposes, then they should be located away from the building so that as a person approaches they can see around them.  Bushes should be trimmed to a height of three/four feet above ground level and trees down to seven/eight.  Anything higher or lower causes opportunities.


And finally, check windows and doors, to make sure they close properly.  And, while cleaning the windows and gutters, check the outside lights, especially those on a sensor.   

Another thing, stand at your property line at dusk and see if someone can see inside your house while the lights are on and can see that you’re at home.  If they can, then even if you leave lights on to give the appearance that someone’s home they can see that you’re not.  We draw our curtains at dusk so that you can’t see through.


When I said, defend above I didn’t mean confront the bad guy and whip out a gun.  Trust me your stuff is not worth someone’s life.  On the other hand, if they are physically harming or threating harm to my family I can guarantee you that they’d wish that I only had a gun. 


Send me an email and I’ll send you a 28 question checklist you can follow.  FREE.