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Five tips to secure your home

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Being the victim of property crime is a traumatic event, says A/Cst. Michael Dally from the RCMP's Oceanside detachment in B.C. To help victims of break-and-enters feel safe in their own homes again, Dally created the Secure-Us program. He meets with homeowners one-on-one, walks through their home with them and gives them practical safety tips to secure their home for the future.

Here are five safety tips from Dally to deter burglars:

Be visible

If you call 911 and it's a foggy, wet night at three in the morning, can I see that you're number 325? Make sure your house number is clear, for example, black numbers on a white house or white numbers on a black house.

Light up the night

If anyone comes around any points of the house, does it light up? Install motion detector lights on all sides of your house and keep your porch light on at night.

Nowhere to hide

Bushes, trees shrubbery, should be down low so you have a clear view of the house. People shouldn't be able to get behind that 12-foot high hedge and break their way into your house unseen.

Secure your tools

Don't keep a window open, and don't leave a ladder unlocked in the backyard. Burglars don't walk around with all the things they need to get into a house. When they get into your backyard, the first place they're going to is the toolshed to see what's in there that they can use to break into the house. Lock them up!

Get to know your neighbours

Have someone check on your home when you're away for extended periods. Have lights on a timer that come on and off at different times. And ask someone to remove papers and flyers from the driveway and entranceways.

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