As someone dedicated to jewelry and the jewelry industry, you may frequently find yourself away from home. But consider the value of what may be at your home:
- Your own personal jewelry, telling a special story about you and your life;
- Your family heirlooms, handed down after generations and bestowed upon you to hand down to the next;
- Your family, which is invaluable and irreplaceable.
Home security tips for jewelers are just as essential as the tips we give to keep jewelry businesses safe. Unfortunately, criminals recognize the intrinsic value your home holds to you and may attempt to use it as leverage to get what matters most to them: your business's inventory.
The components of your home’s physical security are what actually keep criminals out of your home. Home burglaries generally occur because doors and windows aren’t kept locked or aren’t strong enough to keep outsiders from entering.
Prevent a break-in by following these tips:
- Keep all doors and windows locked, even when you are home.
- All exterior doors should be steel or solid wood, and corresponding door jambs and frames should meet set standards for attack resistance.
- Make sure all exterior door hinges are located on the inside so doors can’t be removed from the outside.
- Install high-security deadbolt locks - preferably UL listed, and with one-inch throws and reinforced strike plates - on all exterior doors.
- Work with a qualified locksmith. You can find one in your area by searching the Associated Locksmiths of America website.
- Protect windows in exterior doors by installing burglary–resistant glazing material or glass-breaking sensors.
- Install a one-way viewer with a wide-angle lens on your doors so you can see who is there or within the vicinity before opening it. You can also install a home surveillance system with externally mounted cameras. This system allows you to monitor who is at the door by turning on a television in any room of your house or by viewing on your phone.
- Place wooden dowels in the inside tracks of sliding glass doors. Install vertical bolts on the doors to prevent them from being lifted out of their tracks.
- Make sure your garage door is closed and locked at all times.
- Secure you windows with pin locks on the upper and lower sashes.
- Change the locks on all exterior doors and windows when you move into a new home, or whenever keys cannot be accounted for.
- Trim bushes and trees to discourage burglars from hiding next to windows and doors. Also, trim tree limbs that provide access to second-story windows. As an added level of security, consider planting thorny shrubs near doors and under windows.
Implementing only one or two of these tips won’t necessarily make your home the safe haven that it should be. Of all the home security tips for jewelers, the most beneficial piece of advice may be to implement as many of the tips as possible.
Remember, criminals could view weak home security as a conduit to your business. Cases of "tiger kidnappings" have been reported, which feature a jeweler's family being held as collateral until the criminals are given access to the high-value merchandise that they're after.
Conducting a security inspection of your home on a regular basis can also help prevent situations like tiger kidnappings.
Over the course of months and years, weather can damage parts of your property and criminals may also tamper with them over time. It’s important to routinely inspect areas of your home such as locks on your doors and windows for wear and tear. Even a simple burned out lightbulb can leave a hole in your security.
Remember, physical security alone won’t stop criminals. It’s part of the three-pronged approach that also utilizes strong electronic security and procedural security. This “PEP” approach should also be applied at your business.
