Las Vegas is a fairly safe place as metro areas go, but it’s worth shoring up security and safety at home to lower the likelihood of losing life or property to bad guys. Whether you buy or rent a house in Las Vegas, consider at least some of these options for protecting your house from burglaries:
- Lock your doors. That may be a head-slapper, but lots of people who are burglarized don’t do this. Lock them when you’re home, also.
- Put multiple locks or braces on the doors and windows. It doesn’t have to look like a New York apartment, but a back-up lock is warranted.
- Add lights outside, with motion detectors. They’re not that expensive these days, and light chases away people who don’t want to be seen.
- Keep your windows closed, and lower the blinds at night so criminals don’t see in.
- Get a lock for your garage door. And change the code on your electronic opener from the one that came from the factory.
- Know your neighbors and join the local Block Watch program.
- Take a video of your belongings so you can prove what you own if you’re the victim of a burglary.
- Consider hiring an alarm company. Closed circuit TV is also much cheaper than previously and can be monitored with your cell phone.
- Make sure you have someone keep your driveway and front door clear of circulars and newspapers when you leave town so you don’t advertise that no one is home. Same goes for social media – don’t tell the world no one is watching your stuff.
- Also when vacationing, set up timed lights.
- If it looks like your house has been hit, call the cops. Don’t go in.
Police contacts:
Las Vegas metro – 702-828-3111
North Las Vegas – 702-633-9111
Henderson – 702-267-5000
By Hal DeKeyser
Free consumer’s guide on buying a new Las Vegas home
Want a FREE advance copy of Hal DeKeyser’s upcoming book on how to buy a new home in Las Vegas? It walks buyers through all the steps in the process, from figuring out what kind of home you want to finding financing, shopping the models, monitoring construction to what you do in the first year. It’s a helpful guide even for those who have done this before. To get one, simply email Hal.DeKeyser@gmail.com with “I want the book” in the subject line. (No obligation.)
