Secure your home against thieves before going on holiday

Talk about adding maddening insult to emotional injury. A day after a colleague had to put down his beloved German shepherd, his family home was broken into and ransacked. The front door was jimmied open, and every drawer in the home was pulled out, the contents tossed all over the floors.

The thief - or thieves - made off with a laptop computer, iPod, some cash and all his wife's jewelry. The police, who likely won't spend much time searching for the stolen goods, surmise the perpetrators were drug users seeking items they can easily sell on the street for pennies on the dollar.

My colleague said his wife remains upset and fearful. He feels violated, is very angry, and would dearly love to inflict some serious pain on those who brazenly entered his family's sanctuary.

But it's the inconvenience that disturbs him the most. He now has to find time to contend with the aftermath. He must continue to comfort his wife, then deal with insurance, security and repair issues.

And police say there's a likelihood the thieves might return in a month or so to steal the replacement items.

My colleague's experience got me thinking. If no one is home during the workday, or you plan to travel this summer, you can avoid becoming a victim by taking simple actions to secure your home.

A house sitter would be ideal, but if one can't be arranged, here are some tips:

Install a monitored security system. With today's advanced technology, there are many options.

Lock and bolt all doors and windows. Sliding doors require special devices to make them secure, such as a dowel or rod inserted through a hole drilled in the sliding door frame and projecting into the fixed frame. Commercial locks and window grilles are also available.

Treat the inside door from the garage into the house like an outside door. Lock and bolt it.

Leave something in plain view outside to give the appearance of family activity - gardening tools, toys, or water hose can all send a message someone is home. Buy a pair or two of size-18 men's shoes at a thrift store, then leave them outside the entrance door. There's nothing like the image of an Incredible Hulk to make a wouldbe intruder think twice about fooling with your home.

Put a radio, television, and interior and exterior lights on timers set according to your normal schedule. Leave some draperies and blinds open as well.

Stop your mail and newspaper deliveries. Ask a neighbour to remove the free regional newspapers and flyers from the front of your house. They don't take long to accumulate.

Get a family member or trusted neighbour to mow your lawn, move your vehicle occasionally and place a bag of their household trash in front of your home on collection day.

A home safe or safety-deposit box are great options for storing valuables, including jewelry and important home-and family-related documents.

Make sure shrubs and trees that cover windows and doors are trimmed so a burglar cannot use them as cover to gain access to your home.

Be certain tools, ladders and other objects that could be used to break into your home are locked up.

Don't hide keys under doormats or planters, or in a fake rock. Crooks check those places first.

No one expects to have their belongings stolen, so would you be able to remember every detail about your possessions? An up-to-date home inventory can help to determine exactly what items were stolen, and their value. Such an inventory would also be beneficial following a fire or other disaster.

Go through each room and list all contents. Be sure to include a description of all items, including rugs, furniture, books and lamps. Or use a voice recorder, then transcribe the details later. Back up your written inventory with photos or video. Store the inventory in a secure place outside the home.

I will be taking a one-month respite from writing this column. There are many projects to tackle in and around our home. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you again in August. Meanwhile, have a safe, enjoyable summer.

Peter Simpson is the president and chief executive officer of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association. Email peter@gvhba.org
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Prince William and Kate Middleton to star-struck Quebec: 'À bientôt'

QUEBEC CITY - The citizens of Quebec got what Montreal did not: full unfettered contact and sightlines of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their royal tour.

And they were treated to a speech by the eventual heir to the throne "tout en français," praising the "beauty" and "vitality" of Quebec and vowing to return.

Whether organizers in the capital did a better job, the police were more prepared or the secure location of the places the royals went to were the factors that counted is all debatable.

In the end, all that mattered was protesters were kept out of sight and in most cases out of earshot of the dignitaries and there was no threat of violence to William and Kate.

Quite a difference from the bum's rush the couple were given the day before in Montreal, where one photographer was certain she saw eggs lobbed at the royal convoy on the way to Ste. Justine Hospital and security became tight as a drum.

As a result of the safe and convivial atmosphere in Quebec, the attractive young couple went right up to the barricades to shake hands, take photos and speak to the star-struck crowds who whooped their approval and in some cases were still shaking minutes after their Cambridge connection.

“He said, ‘You better get down before you hurt yourself,” said Hannah Hoelscher of Rutland, Vt. She was standing on the lower rung of the metal crowd-containment barricades when William, much to her shock, came her way, surrounded by bodyguards.

“He asked where I was from and whether I drove all this way to see them, and I said of course. And then the big shocker was Kate who came by, too,” said the young American, whose hands were visibly shaking.

“This is a young and fun couple who really seem to care about everyone.”

An outdoor event at city hall at noon threatened with both bad weather and the promise of an ugly confrontation with members of an anti-monarchy group. But the deluge stopped in time and the 200 anti-monarchy protesters were kept more than a block away from the actual ceremony.

Their air horns and bagpipes were more than drowned out by the police escort that brought the convoy to the steps of city hall, where the Royals were met by Jean Charest and the mayor of Quebec City, Régis Labeaume.

Charest got huge cheers, but those were outdone when William and then Kate left the limo decorated with their specially designed insignia.

After walking up to the steps of city hall, William reviewed the assembled 2nd Battalion of the Royal 22nd Regiment in their red dress uniforms and with their goat mascot in tow.

Labeaume made a comment that the thousand people assembled were there for Charest and the premiere gamely laughed.

Then William addressed the crowd without a word of English, no mistakes and only a slight accent.

“À bientôt,” were his final words.

The royals were at city hall to celebrate the 403rd birthday of Quebec and The Freedom of the City ceremony that dates back to 1748, at a time when fortified or walled cities only permitted entry to armies who they knew to be friendly.

This ceremony permitted a friendly troupe with weapons and drums entry to the inside. The permission to come in was an honour but a necessity, as many armies at the time were no more than marauding gangs with little discipline.

The 22nd Regiment, known as the Van Doos (a corruption of vingt-deux), has its headquarters in the Citadelle and its regional headquarters in Quebec City.

asutherland@montrealgazette.com
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

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