How to prevent break-ins
A recent article in the Omaha World Herald stated burglaries in the Omaha area are on the rise again this year, after a significant increase last year. West Omaha and the Millard areas are becoming increasingly victimized. The unfortunate folks that have suffered a break-in may no longer feel safe in their own home. Kids are especially impacted.
The FBI states that a door gets kick-in every 12 seconds in the United States! It happens dozens of times a week in Omaha alone. Approximately 70-80% of all home burglaries occur by somebody coming through the front, side, or back doors. Open your front door and look at the dead bolt plate. There is about one inch of soft wood protecting the safety of your home. Stop a burglar before he gets in!
The best protection for your home is to prevent the break-in in the first place. Here are some tips to keep an intruder out:
Of course, keep doors, windows and the garage locked when not actually exiting or entering the home. Never leave house keys under the doormat, in the mailbox or a plastic rock-shaped key holder, etc., burglars check these places.
If you have an automatic garage door opener, never drive off until you witness the door close all the way.
Trim back shrubs and bushes around the perimeter of the house.
Increase lighting around the perimeter of your home. Set lights and a radio on a timer when you leave on vacation.
Alarm systems are effective in many cases but gangs of thieves have become emboldened and can kick-in a door, "snatch & grab" most of your valuables in a matter of seconds and be long gone before the police arrive. These “snatch & grab” burglaries represent 70% percent of the intrusions. Most of these intrusions happen around 2:00 in the afternoon.
In 98% of door-kick-ins the point of failure is the doorframe. Typically in most homes only 1 inch of soft wood is protecting you and your valuables from an intrusion. To keep your door from being kicked-in and your securtiy compromised:
Standard doors can be replaced with up-graded security enhanced doors and frames that offer 3 interlocking points along the face of the door. These can range in the thousands of dollars.
There is also a wonderful product called StrikeMaster II that prevents the kick-in all together. It installs on the lock side of the doorframe and is guaranteed to prevent a kick-in due to doorframe failure. The manufacturer has sold over 15,000 of these units and has never had one fail. For less than the cost of your insurance deductible you could install a StrikeMaster II on each exterior door and protect your family and possessions. The StrikeMaster II is a patented product that WILL prevent a kick-in of your door, guaranteed! It can also be used to repair a doorframe that has already been kicked-in. The units are very cost-effective and inexpensive to install. Mr. Handyman can sell and/or install one of these units within the Omaha area.
Visit the manufacturer's consumer website for more information at:
http://nokickins.com/
Call Mr. Handyman for more information or installation. We have many in stock. Prevent your door(s) from getting kicked-in!