Queensland Police is reminding everyone of safety in the home. Here are some tips:
Let’s focus for a moment on “Safety in the Home”. Safety strategies should be habits that people develop to increase their feelings of safety and security and reduce the likelihood of having their safety threatened.
You may or may not have heard a member of the police service use the term sneak offence, it’s when our clientele enter your home daytime or night-time our clientele aren’t fussy. It doesn’t matter if you’re cooking, watching TV, on the computer, reading on the couch, attending to your family or that you are sound asleep in your beds, and as chilling as that sounds, it happens all too often.
How to avoid a Sneak Offence happening to you?
- Do not leave sliding doors or windows open while you sleep at night to keep cool air coming in
- When you are at home, lock doors and windows in areas of the home that are unoccupied
- Do not leave your front or back door or screen unlocked while you’re inside your home, keep door/screen keys in your pocket or close to the exit doors in case of a fire emergency
- Get into the habit every time you return home from work, shopping or leisure, and place your car keys, handbag, wallet, phone and personal items in a cupboard or safe place that is out of sight and is unknown to other members outside the family circle
- 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 of our clientele can be observed. This may mean trimming back or under trees and shrubs
- Security lighting can be installed around the perimeter of your property, including over entry ways, along your driveway and the back of the house, revealing any possible hiding places for thieves
- 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.