Top 3 Ways to Keep Your Calgary Home Extra Secure During the Winter

November 30, 2021

calgary winter crime home securityAs the holiday season approaches, you may be thinking of taking a few days away from home. Whether you are travelling to a close relative’s home, a cottage, or a traditional vacation, home security is for sure on your pre-departure checklist. Why do you need to think about security? According to the Calgary Police, there has been a 22% increase in property crimes over the past five years.

You can avoid burglars breaking in by taking some extra precautions. Safety measures help ensure no one is hiding inside when you return, causing danger to you and your family.

How do you make sure you have home security? A quality residential security system that will trigger an alarm sending the police to come to take away the intruder. Before it gets to this point, how else can you protect your home from crime while on vacation?

  1. Shoveled Sidewalks

Winter means an unpredictable amount snow, especially if you live in Calgary. An un-shovelled driveway and sidewalk is a sign to intruders that you are away for the holidays making your place an easy target. There is less chance of burglars getting caught when you are not around, and they know it.

Before you get out of the city for the Christmas season, make sure you take the target off your home. Shovel the driveway before you leave and while you are away, ask a neighbour or family member to shovel your drive for you. Having someone regularly clear off the snow on your property could be a save in itself. Burglars wandering around the neighbourhood looking for an easy break-in will see someone is at your home and take you off their hit list.

  1. Avoid Items Laying Around

Think back to when you were a kid, and your mom and dad would tell you to put away your toys before bedtime. As an adult, it is important to remove boxes or packages lying around before you leave for your holiday. Why? If a burglar sees a Christmas package on your doorstep, it is an invitation to pick it up. Items left lying around your home signal that you aren’t around, and your residence becomes a pick and pull for criminals. (insert camera system link)

Do you have a package scheduled for delivery while you are away? Make sure to let your neighbours know you will be gone and ask them to watch for your parcel so they can keep it for you until you return. According to several news sources, theft of packages is at an all-time high so consider holding off on deliveries while you are on holiday.

  1. Have Someone Check on Your Home

Do you have a friend or family member living nearby? Ask them to check on your home while you are gone. They can let you know if they notice anything suspicious, like footprints in your yard. They can also make sure you locked all your doors, switch lights on or off, and put away anything you left lying out. Make it appear that someone is home. If non of these options are available, a home surveillance system (add link) can offer you peace of mind and you check in from time-to-time on your home. These systems also offer motion detection and intruder alerts which can be better than a neighbours watchful eyes.