Your garage is a vulnerable part of your home for reasons you’ve probably never thought about. Unfortunately, leaving it messy is not part of this advice. Sorry guys you’re gonna have to clean it out eventually.
Secure Garage Tip 1: Close your garage door
Yes, this is a simple as it sounds. Close the flipping door! A good percentage of homes in my neighborhood keep their doors open all day. Granted it is summer and 99° outside, but that is no excuse. Keeping the garage door open can create a crime of opportunity. This is when someone who was not planning on committing a crime does so because it looked like it was easy to do. Simply put, you - the homeowner- created the opportunity for a crime.
Giving just anyone access to your garage is a terrible idea. First off, anyone can approach your home, see something they like and take off with it in a matter of seconds. Don’t be left explaining to you kids why they don’t have bikes anymore.
Another reason to keep your garage door closed is to conceal that you are away from home. An open garage door with no cars inside tells everyone that there are no adults home. Granted your 15 year old daughter could be home for the day, but you don’t want to invite trouble for her. When you give away information like being away, you are making your home an easier target for a break in.
Secure Garage Tip 2: Restrict access to your garage
You may use your garage for storage space. So you park your car in your driveway. Doing this leaves your garage remote, or clicker as I call it, exposed in your car. A burglar can break your car window and be in your garage in under a minute. This opens your storage space up to a quick robbery or much worse. Store your remote in a console or glove box so that it can’t be seen from outside.
Secure Garage Tip 3: Lock the door leading to the garage
Once someone has access to your garage bad things happen. Worse than someone stealing your kid’s bike and riding off. Many people do not lock the door between the garage and their kitchen. This is a problem. Once someone is in your garage, they can have easy access to the rest of your home if you leave this door unlocked. Lock the door between your garage and your home, even if you are home.
When someone gains access your garage they have a myriad of options to do more harm. Before you go to bed look at the things you have in your garage. Those things can be used against you. All a burglar has to do is close the garage door behind them and they can work in secret to break into the rest of your home with your tools.
Also, once someone is inside your garage they can wait for a family member to come home and attack from a place considered “safe”. Hidden away behind a few boxes or under an empty vehicle, an attacker can strike when it is least expected. Don’t risk exposing you and your family to an armed robbery by making your garage an easy access point. Denying access to your garage helps secure the rest of your home.
Simply put, guard your garage door as you would your front door. Keep it closed and secure all the time.
For more of the Secure Dad 101 series, click here.
