Security Risk Assessment

A security risk assessment is a study and review of how vulnerable you, your family and property are to theft or home invasion. Fire can also be a security threat, particularly if you have a home based business where confidential, legal documents and your business equipment are located. By assessing your home's security risk, you can reduce the possibility of a disastrous event occurring. Each area of home and property has a different level of risk and deserves to be treated individually.

The first phase of risk assessment is information gathering. You may want to call your local police for information about the types of crimes that have been committed in your neighborhood. There may be a lot going on that you don't know about. Ask them about suspicious activity being reported and the timeof day or night that crimes have typically occurred. You may also want to speak to some of your neighbors about any suspicious events in the neighborhood.

It is not uncommon for a rash of burglaries to take place in one neighborhood and for residents on the next street be completely unaware. That's just one more reason why burglary is so pervasive. Always remember that burglars always look for the easiest target, and an unsecured home is easy pickings for them.

The next thing you need to do is take note of your daily habits and routines and identify those times when you house is vacated. Do you go for long vacations? Do you leave for work at exactly the same time each day and return at the same time each evening? Do you check your backyard occasionally to see if your property is still there and that the exterior of your house and property are okay?

Next, you should check the exterior or perimeter of your property and decide how easy it would be for someone to steal something right off of your lawn, near your pool, or behind your garage and house. Then examine your house and garage windows to determine how easy it would be to get through them. Older houses may have windows that are worn and weathered, made of wood that is more easily pried apart or window panes that could be taken out manually by an intruder.

Could someone possibly gain access through any of your first floor or basement windows? Would the neighbors hear anyone breaking into your house? Not many neighbors do hear break-ins at a neighbor's house.

Next, check your door locks including your garage doors. Do you use deadbolts? Are your locks from a different era? If your locks are worn and easy to pick, then you should replace them. Most home security violations happen via doors, front and back. Are there trees or ladders available that an intruder could use to access the upper levels of your house, such as a balcony. Another overlooked issue is whether your front and back doors have a peephole so you can see who is at the door. What kind of doors do you have? Can they be pulled or pried apart from the outside? Do they have ordinary panes of glass in them? These can be broken for quick access to your home.

Begin planning your home security system with a zone plan.