On August 8, 2017, Laval police officials arrested a man named Michel Métivier. The police believed this man was responsible for several dozen break-ins in the Laval area. Imagine a single burglar responsible for dozens of burglaries in your neighborhood. Plenty of people are looking to buy real estate & homes for sale in Laval, because the city is generally considered safe and children-friendly. But you still need to exercise some caution so that you can protect your home from burglars.
However, this doesn’t mean that you need to spend a lot of money to fortify your place.
- Always lock your doors and windows, especially at night or when no one’s home. While many burglars can pick a lock, they certainly prefer the easier option of just going through an unlocked door. In fact, research studies suggest that 30% of all burglaries involved an unlocked door. Burglars want to get in and out quickly, and locking your doors is the most basic step in making it less easy for these criminals.
- Periodically walk around your property to check for any vulnerability. Check for any unlocked windows and doors. If you have any dark areas where a burglar may lurk, consider improving the lighting for that area. Make sure there aren’t any places that can provide cover to enable a burglar to get in your place without being seen by neighbors or people on the street. Check that your valuables aren’t visible from the street. You may also want to change your routine so burglars who are analyzing you won’t be able to figure out the best time to break into your place.
- Use a deadlock bolt for your door. A regular cylinder lock doesn’t really deter burglars, especially when they have time.
- Make friends with your neighbors. This should be easy enough in Laval, where the people are generally friendly to begin with. Burglars don’t try to break into homes with nosey neighbors.
- Put in a good quality alarm system. Dummy alarms may deter opportunistic teenagers, but the pros can recognize these fakes. They can also bypass cheap alarms. At the very least, you can install alarms that emit a loud sound when a window is broken or when a door is opened. You may want to put in some security cameras, as these things are very affordable now. Some of these cameras may even enable you to see what’s going on in your house through your smartphone.
- A dog also helps. Plenty of Laval homes offer spacious backyards for your dogs, and barking often forces burglars to reconsider breaking into your home. You don’t even need dangerous dogs to deter burglars—a yapping Chihuahua can be just as effective as burglar deterrents.
- Practice proper maintenance for your home exterior and backyard. When you neglect to maintain your place, the burglars may think that your house isn’t occupied for extended periods of time. Trimming and pruning your trees and shrubs also removes any possible places where criminals can hide.
- Make sure you have adequate lighting all around your home. Darkness makes for a very effective cover, and so you want to light up your place. This allows your neighbors to see if anyone is lurking around your property. You should turn on your lights at dusk, and you may want to think about a timer for them if your home late. You may also want to think about motion-activated floodlights, which can really scare off burglars when they activate late at night.
Plenty of people buy real estate in Laval because it’s one of the safest cities in Canada. The crime score is 16 points lower than the national average, which is why it ranks just 68th among the most dangerous cities in the country. But it’s better to be safe than sorry, so you should practice good security habits to make your Laval home as safe as can be.
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