Summer is Here - Time to Protect Your Homes and Businesses!

Summertime is a time of opportunity for criminals for both homes and businesses!  First, many vacations are taken during the summer leaving homes vacant.  Make sure you don’t post and “advertise” too much on social media as it can be seen by the wrong person and they can try to break in at this time of opportunity.  Make sure you have mail held at your post office, newspaper service stopped, and get some timers for your lights to make it look like someone is home.  And, of course, turn on your security system.  These basic tips can help deter and stop from alerting criminals.  Additionally, when you have a backyard party make sure you lock the front door.  When a criminal sees that everyone is walking around and congregating in your yard and that is where the attention is, an opportunistic thief can try to sneak in the front door and go right upstairs where they hope to find, jewelry, cash, prescription medication and more.  It is very important to keep safe  and secure even when you are home.  But the summertime threat doesn’t just stop at homeowners - business owners need to be aware as well.  Employee theft is increasing, especially during the summer as well as traditional theft by  the every day criminal as well.  School is out.  Certain businesses, especially in vacation locations, are busier than ever and have more employees and customers than normal and unfortunately some of your summer help only care about getting paid, they don’t really care about your business.   A few tips to help business owners.  Make sure you get a background check on everyone you hire, especially the summer help.  Watch your security cameras more carefully - that eagle eye view will help you see more than any single person may.  Hire security professionals - trained professionals can act on what they see and their experience.  Trust your instinct - if someone looks like they are up to no good, they probably are so watch that person more closely.  Watch your employees - make sure your wait staff, bar staff, cashiers, stockers, etc. are not letting product walk out the door with friends, make sure they aren’t giving free food or drinks, or pouring premium when they charge for house.  This can cost you a lot and truly eat in to those summer profits.  Lastly, for those, drinking, make sure you travel in groups.  I don’t care how close you live to where you were drinking or how tough you are - there are too many crimes of various degrees that are committed against those who are drunk and by traveling in groups, you make yourself less susceptible to something like this since 1 or 2 people may not want to have to deal with a group of people.  These are just a few tips and ideas to help you all have a happy and safe summer!  I welcome any comments or suggestions as well as would welcome discussing how to make your home or business more safe.  Feel free to contact me at cfnydick@Verizon.net or 215-264-4234.  Thank you!

Corey Nydick

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