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In<\/span> The Safety Trap<\/span><\/i><\/a> by security expert Spencer Coursen, he mentions that a surprising number of burglaries occur because the homeowner left a door or window unlocked. He describes one case where a wealthy client of his kept the key fobs for his luxury vehicles near the front door. The rich client failed to lock the front door, and a thief was able to quietly enter this man\u2019s home, grab a fob, and drive off with a car. <\/span><\/p>\n The owner was in his bedroom the whole time, oblivious to the fact that he was getting robbed right underneath his nose. <\/span><\/p>\n This rich client called Spencer for a consult on installing a sophisticated security system to avoid another brazen theft. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWas the front door locked?\u201d Spencer initially inquired regarding that theft. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, no . . .\u201d responded the rich guy. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhy not try locking your doors first before we spend a lot of money on a security system?\u201d Spencer asked.<\/span><\/p>\n While this \u201cWell duh!\u201d-inducing story probably makes you think \u201cI\u2019d never be so dumb,\u201d chances are, you are sometimes that dumb. Dimes to donuts, you do sometimes leave your doors unlocked, even when you\u2019re sleeping.<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s because you haven\u2019t routinized the locking of your doors. You just do it willy-nilly, making yourself re-remember to do it each night. And sometimes your memory fails you.<\/span><\/p>\n According to Spencer, one of the easiest, most bang-for-your-buck things you can do to improve your home security is simply performing a set security check before you turn in for the night. He calls this the \u201c9 p.m. routine,\u201d though you can do it at whatever time works for you. The important thing is to simply be consistent. <\/span><\/p>\n Burglars are criminals of opportunity. The easier it will be to burglarize your home without getting caught, the more likely they are to commit the crime. If you make burgling your house a bit more difficult, you reduce the likelihood of your house getting hit.<\/span><\/p>\n The 9 p.m. routine is an easy way to ensure your home is as secure as possible and less of a desirable target for criminals. <\/span><\/p>\n It only takes five minutes and requires doing the following things: <\/span><\/p>\n Many of you are already doing your version of the 9 p.m. routine. Consider this some friendly encouragement to keep it up.<\/span><\/p>\n But as Spencer noted, many people don\u2019t do something as basic as locking their doors and shutting their windows. If this is you, consider this your nudge to start your own nightly security check.<\/span><\/p>\n Your home is your sanctuary. Develop this simple habit that can keep it that way. <\/span><\/p>\n For more tips on personal security, listen to our podcast with Spencer Coursen:<\/b><\/em>\n
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