In as much as we want to believe our fellow Americans are trustworthy people, unfortunately there are some unscrupulous people out there that simply break the mold and we must take unprecedented action to ensure that our cherished (and expensive) possessions don’t disappear from our property by way of thieves.
There has been a recent increase in theft among dwellers primarily in urban areas where they have lost some or all of their lawn furnishings due to middle of the night theft. The furniture is there when you go to bed and it’s gone when you wake up in the morning. There are even some documented cases where furniture has been removed from porches and yards in the middle of the day.
So, if you are slightly concerned or live in an area where you believe you are at high risk, what can you do to help reduce the threat of loss in your neighborhood?
The first rule of protection is that if you make it difficult for someone to steal or make it so that someone is recognized when they attempt to steal, the risk of theft is significantly reduced. So, doing something that makes a thief think about how hard it is going to be to steal something or that they will be recognized when they are attempting to steal something, you have reduced the risk of theft significantly.
Although not all of the concepts here may be able to be applied in your situation, you will become aware and begin implementing feasible solutions as your concerns begin to grow.
The following tips can help you keep your outdoor furniture in your possession and keep would-be intruders out of your yard:
- Keep yard gates closed and locked when your not home or when your not in view of your outdoor furniture.
- Keep yards lit at night. Thieves don’t like to been seen.
- Advise neighbors to contact local authorities when they see something suspicious happening in your yard. Have them contact you as a follow up.
- Install motion detection alarms that ward off unwanted intruders that can be easily set and deactivated by you from within your home or a smart phone. These should alarm inside and outdoors as well.
- Where feasible, use plastic coated cable with locks and bind your furniture to heavy or non movable objects.
- Install security cameras/equipment that are obvious but not able to be disabled by intruders. This may also assist in the recovery and reduced home owners insurance costs. Check with your agent.
- Although not convenient, move furniture indoors or in a locked shed when not in use.
For those of you who believe it necessary, help keep those undesirable types from ruining your day by instituting one or more of the suggested tips by making your furniture harder and less desirable to steal.
Check back for our next article to learn about and important upcoming announcement about Wicker Living, LLC and Lloyd Flanders Furniture and products.
Don’t forget to Like Us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter to receive more blog updates.
