The Three L’s for Home Safety: Locks, Lighting & Landscape
BY ANDREW WOOTEN
Locks. Be sure you have proper locks on all your doors and windows. And keep them locked! Use anti-bumping deadbolt locks on all your doors. Keep the door between your house and the garage locked and lock your garage door at night. Don’t forget to check all your locks before you go to bed each night.
Lighting. Criminals love landscape lighting and dusk-to-dawn lighting. We recommend you install motion detector lighting on all your outside lights. This includes on all four sides of your home. Also install timers for the interior lights of your house. This makes your home look occupied even when you are not there.
Landscaping. In addition to keeping your lawn cut and clear of clutter, remember the 3 Foot/10 Foot Rule. All of your bushes should be cut down to no higher than three feet and thinned out. This prevents criminals from hiding behind your bushes to surprise you. All your trees should be cut to hang no lower than ten feet from the ground.
Extra: If you hold open houses, be sure to read this article by Andrew Wooten in Arizona REALTOR® Magazine.
Andrew Wooten is the president of Safety Awareness Firearms Education (S.A.F.E.), and has been in the safety and security industry for over twenty-four years. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and a Masters in Education. Mr. Wooten’s experience consists of education and training in crime prevention and security management that has earned him many professional certifications in his field.