Queensland Police recently published a very useful and informative article on safety. International students are to become more aware on safety and security. Enjoy this article “Home is your Castle”.
Let’s focus for a moment on “Safety in the Home” safety strategies. These should be habits that people develop to increase their feelings of safety and security and reduce the likelihood of having their safety threatened. These habits should not make people restrict their lifestyle or become dependent on someone else’s rules.
Personal Safety Plan – It is not always necessary to spend a lot of money to secure your home. Most house break-ins are crimes of opportunity, with entry often gained through an open or unlocked door or window. By developing and maintaining good safety habits, such as utilising the security you already have, you can go a long way to improving your home safety.
Neighbours – Good neighbours can be one of the best forms of home security, become familiar with which neighbours you can go to in an emergency, prior to an emergency happening. Communicating with your neighbour and formulating a safety plan may be vital to your safety and the safety of your family.
Basic Physical Security – Secure your house before leaving home, i.e. close and lock all doors and windows. Keys should be removed from all internal doors and windows when you are not at home.
- When you are not home, give your house the ‘live-in’ look by leaving a light on and a radio or television playing.
- When you are at home, lock doors and windows in areas of the home that are unoccupied.
- Walk around your home and make a safety plan which includes identifying easy exit points. This will assist you should you ever need to exit your house in an emergency.
- Ensure your house is visible to your neighbours and passers-by so that any offenders can be observed. This may mean trimming back or under trees and shrubs.
- Keep cash and valuable out of easy reach and out of sight. If you have a safe, use it.
- Avoid leaving notes on the door, they suggest that no one is home. Consider asking a neighbour to collect any parcels etc. that you are expecting.
- IMPORTANT – Avoid leaving a house key under a doormat, pot plant, letterbox or any other obvious place. If necessary, give a spare key to a trusted neighbour.
- Your house number should be clearly visible, so emergency services can find your house quickly in the event of an emergency.
- In the event of a life threatening emergency always ring ‘000’.
- Mark valuable property using the Police Property Identification System. For further details contact Fortitude Valley Police Station (07) 3737 5757 or Brisbane City Police Station (07) 3258 2582 for advice and to obtain a QPS Property Identification brochure.
You’re probably all thinking that “This is my home and I don’t want to feel like I’m locked in a cage or being controlled by undesirables”. Let’s be honest; ever since the dawn of time, kings in their castles have always had large cast iron gates to ward undesirables away. However the King always ensured that he had spotters on all four corners of the castle to ensure a high visibility at all times so that it was easy to spot the undesirables coming towards the king’s castle. So, like a king, protect your castle and seek out and get to know your adjacent fellow king’s men so that our lands may be safe for all who dwell within.
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