Crime Prevention & Personal Safety Discussions

Door to door solicitors are those bothersome sales people that knock on your door and try to convince you to buy their products.  There are numerous legitimate companies that hire people to peddle their products at your front door but the problem is they often hire people who have criminal records.   In many cases these companies hire people off the street without conducting  background checks and then they are sent into neighborhoods to knock on doors.  There have been numerous cases throughout the country where door to door salesmen have committed violent crimes such as murder, rape, and robbery. 

When I am home and I hear a knock at my front door I look out the peep hole in the door and if I do not recognize the person I do not open the door.   Why should I open the door and expose myself and my home to a complete stranger?  A year ago I put a “no solicitation” sign on my front door because I was tired of being bothered by door to door solicitors and salesmen.  I was quite surprised that the sign almost completely eliminated all future door to door solicitors. 

A security camera above your front door is another method to deter door to door solicitors who might target you and your home for a  crime.  A criminal approaching your front door would see the security camera and they would most likely choose not to try and commit a crime for fear of the crime being caught on video.   Video cameras are to criminals what light is to coackroaches in that criminals panic when they encounter a security camera.  Criminals look for easy crime victims and if your front door is equipped with a security camera you are not an easy victim.  You could even install a fake security video camera for $15.00 and no one will ever know that it is fake.  I would buy a fake camera with a battery powered led light to help give it a more realistic look. 

Another important and often overlooked security element for your front door is your door’s peep hole.  The peep hole is the little hole in the upper middle section of your door that enables you to peer into the hole to see who is on the other side of your door.  Get into a routine of peering into your door’s peep hole when someone knocks on your front door.  The peep hole allows you to get a good look at the person who wants you to open the door to your house.  If you don’t recognize the person knocking on your door you can ignore them or yell to them thru the door and request that they state what they want.  I recently was at work and I went to th office of an apartment complex and I noticed the office door had a very odd looking peep hole.  The hole on the outside of the door was the normal small hole but the peep hole on the interior was large and square shaped.   I peered into the peep hole and I was amazed that I could see a very wide area outside the door.  This type of peep hole would make it difficult for someone to knock on the door and then crouch down and hide.  I was so impressed with that peep hole that I am going to purchase one in the near future for my home. 

Door to door solicitors are more prevelant in the neighborhoods at night because that it when most people are home.  For that reason you must ensure that your front porch area is equipped with proper lighting that illuminates the entire front porch.   Make sure the light is bright enough to so that your neighbors can easily see someone standing on your porch.  My theory for porch lights is they should be so bright they make the person standing on the porch feel as if they are standing in daylight.  Criminals love the cover of darkness so make them feel uncomfotable by using bright exterior lighting on your porch and driveway. 

Your home is your castle and your front door is the gate into your castle so protect your front door so that you and your family will be safe.

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