Holiday Safety Tip #1 - Beware the Porch Pirates
We’re in the golden age of internet shopping, and fast and free shipping makes it even easier to load up the online cart and click “Buy Now.” But as those signature brown boxes pile up on porches around town, nefarious porch pirates are always on the lookout for easy targets. If you’re having packages delivered, pay attention to delivery dates and make sure you’re around to bring them inside quickly. Use tracking options to zero in on the exact delivery windows for your packages, and if you can’t be home to move them inside, ask a friend or neighbor to move them for you. Some shipping services allow you to delay delivery or request specific delivery locations, so it’s worth creating an account and/or joining their loyalty programs to access these benefits.
Bottom line—don’t let packages pile up on your porch unattended. It’s just an invitation to the bad guys!
Holiday Safety Tip #2 - Hold the Newspaper and Mail Deliveries When Traveling
If you’re going to be travelling this holiday season, place a hold on your mail and newspaper delivery or arrange for a neighbor to grab them for you. Nothing screams “nobody home!” like an overflowing mailbox and a driveway full of unread papers!
Holiday Safety Tip #3 - Don’t Post ‘Til You’re Home
Another tip related to holiday travel—refrain from posting on social media about your trip until you return. We know it’s tempting to post those gorgeous holiday shots right in the moment, but advertising that your home is empty is asking for trouble.
Holiday Tip #4 - Let Law Enforcement Help
Many local police departments and sheriff’s offices will check on your home while you’re away if you alert them ahead of time. This free service gives you peace of mind and helps them cut down on burglary incidences in their area.
Holiday Safety Tip #5 - Watch Your Trash
If your family had a big Christmas full of electronics and other high-ticket items, don’t leave the boxes by the street. You don’t want to let the Grinch know what kind of new goodies you’ve got inside!
Holiday Safety Tip #6 - Use Smart Lights
If you’re going to be away from home for a few days, consider investing in smart lights that allow you to schedule on/off times and control them remotely. Varying the lighting in your home fools burglars into thinking someone is home.
Holiday Safety Tip #7 - Invest in the Best Smart Lock
Over the course of his eight year deployment, Alex flew repeated missions into insurgent territory in Iraq and Afghanistan. And that thing he first saw in Tikrit? He saw variations of it everywhere. It was a solid bar of metal welded to the bottom of the doors his team needed to enter. It was simple, but it was strong, and it did a really good job of keeping the Special Ops forces out.
Recreating the Metal Bar in Nashville
Fast forward 8 years. Alex was out of the military, living in Nashville, and faced with a string of robberies in his neighborhood. His friends and neighbors were falling victim to a different kind of bad guy, and the deadbolt locks they had trusted to keep their homes secure were virtually useless. Alex remembered the welded bar, and he set out to replicate the incredibly strong device in a design that would work in today’s modern home. HAVEN was born.
Havenlock is based on the same physics principles that allowed the insurgents to confound our military’s Special Ops across the world. But instead of welded metal, it’s formed from military grade Delrin® plastic and steel with a sleek appearance that blends seamlessly with any home’s decor. Havenlock is ten times stronger than a deadbolt, and infinitely smarter. The lock can be controlled manually or remotely via key fob or mobile app.
Adapting Havenlock for Institutional Spaces
With Havenlock proving its worth in the residential market, Alex and the rest of the HAVEN team looked at the mass shooting epidemic plaguing the U.S. They knew that with some design tweaks, their smart lock could offer an immediate security solution for schools, churches, and offices. Haven Lockdown™ uses the same military grade materials and smart design, adapted for application in wider institutional doors. In the event of an active shooter or other threat, teachers and administrators can activate the HAVEN Lockdown™ device instantaneously, stopping the shooter in their tracks.
Havenlock and HAVEN Lockdown™ are the stronger, smarter solutions for residential and institutional safety. Alex Bertelli’s combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan informs every aspect of the company, from design and manufacturing to the company’s position as a thought leader in the security space. HavenLock, Inc. proudly employs veterans and manufactures their line of security products in the U.S. Learn more about HAVEN’s product for schools and other institutions at www.havenlockdown.com. ]]>Here at Haven, our mission is to offer military-grade security devices that blend seamlessly into your home. Function reigns supreme when it comes to designing HavenLock, but we know that when it's going in your living space, form matters too. That’s why we're proud to introduce a new hue to complement our original Black HavenLock model. With its medium brown tones, Russet Brown is the perfect option for those with hardwood and dark tile floors.
Russet Brown Offers Style & Versatility
Our designers chose a versatile brown shade that blends well with oak, cherry, walnut, and other hardwood floors. Russet Brown also works well with darker shades of tile, terra cotta, and brick floors. If you’ve got wood-look floors made from Luxury Vinyl Plank or laminate, Russet Brown will be a great choice for you as well.
Choose HavenLock For Residential Security & Peace of Mind
Whether you go with standard Black or new Russet Brown, you can rest easy knowing that HavenLock is the smarter, stronger lock to protect your family and your home.
Invented by a Special Operations Forces helicopter pilot with direct action experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, HavenLock brings military grade materials, engineering, and ingenuity to the residential setting. HAVEN Mech's military-grade locking wedge is designed to flex, allowing it to absorb the force of an attempted break-in at the base of the door. HAVEN Connect adds one-touch app or key fob activation for added security and convenience. Both products are now available in Russet Brown.
Choose HAVEN Lockdown For Institutional Security & Control
Looking for added security in your school, business, or church? HAVEN Lockdown is HavenLock’s sister product--designed to prevent access to areas that are vulnerable during active shooter situations such as classrooms, office buildings, and places of worship. HAVEN Lockdown activates instantly via keyfob, smartphone, or manually to stop an active shooter in their tracks.
Choose HAVEN
In a world that’s increasingly rife with threats, it’s easy to feel powerless. Haven puts you in control, restoring your power to keep your family, students, employees, and customers safe. Your home is a haven, your school is a refuge, your house of worship is a sanctuary. Keep them safe with Haven.
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Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays. It’s always been about beach, barbecues and, of course, the fireworks. With all of this activity and travel, burglars know that people will be away on vacation or out at barbecues or watching the fireworks.
Remember to make your home look like someone is actually home. Leave lights on or at least on timers and play music or leave the TV playing. My dad used to leave an open newspaper or magazine on the dining room table with a glass of water or a mug by it with the chair pulled out, as if someone had just gotten up. Seriously, he did that. He also left the radio playing very LOUD!
Pets can be shaken up by the fireworks, so don’t bring them to the show. Make sure your pet is wearing up to date tags, is microchipped, and that you have a recent photo in case it gets out. Leave your pet in a room with gentle music playing or the TV on (this serves the dual purpose of calming your pet and detracting a burglar as mentioned above).
Never leave your beach blanket unattended, especially if your wallet, purse or smartphone are left behind while your searching for seashells. Staying aware of your surroundings will make this a happy and safe holiday. Enjoy the beach, lake, pool, backyard or wherever you will be this weekend!
HAVEN is offering 20% off the Bundle (Haven Connect +1 Key Fob) by using code JulyBundle20 at checkout until Sunday, July 7, so get this deal before it's gone!
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Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Living in a condo, I have neighbors above, below and across the hall from me. It’s a small building of 15 units located in the Venice Beach area of Los Angeles. My neighbors run the gamut from retired doctors, a few lawyers and an “herbalist”(this is California after all!), to a TV show host, and a crackpot who hosts parties for drug dealers, prostitutes and thieves. There’s always one in every building, I’ve been told.
Regardless of whether they’re good or bad, I know who they are by site and name. Not many people can say they truly know their neighbors anymore. According to a 2015 report from City Observatory — an urban-policy think tank funded in part by the Knight Foundation — about one third of Americans say they have never interacted with their neighbors. I guess we lead such busy lives now that we don’t think it’s important to even say hello. And it’s not like when you moved in neighbors brought freshly baked cookies over to welcome you to the building or neighborhood. Those days seem to be relegated to scenes in old TV shows or movies — back in the day when people truly relied on neighbors.
Over the years I’ve realized the importance of knowing my neighbors — whether they are next-door or on Nextdoor.com. Those that live in my building are kind enough to drop off packages left for me by the mailbox or let me know when an elevator is broken down or other building maintenance issues have occurred. We help each other out from time to time and we are well, neighborly.
My virtual neighborhood encompasses a few thousand people online. That’s the place where I really find out what’s happening. If a police helicopter has been circling overhead for 20 minutes I can guarantee I will find out what it’s all about in minutes online. There’s an immediacy in this virtual community to share information that I don’t often get from my real life neighbors.
A few months ago my building was broken into and bikes and audio equipment were stolen from out of our common garage. My neighbor above asked me to check the cameras to see if we could get a picture of the thief. Sure enough, I watched as this man quickly and easily opened the buildings front door. Even with the latch guard plate cover installed, this guy got inside within 10 seconds! I was astonished.
Pulling some photos for my neighbor to include in his police report, I then logged onto Nextdoor. What I found was the mother lode of postings about this very suspect. As I combed through posts and replies, I found other photos, and a video clip of this man stealing bicycles, skateboards, keys, garage door clickers, electronics and even a surfboard.
In all, he had burglarized at least seven buildings in the neighborhood over the course of ten days. One Nextdoor neighbor wrote that we all needed to email Chief Moore so we could get additional cops on the street, and he even provided the email address. I didn’t recognize the chiefs name so I figured he was in charge of the local police station. I put together an email stating “just the facts” and included all of the photos and video of this burglar. Within thirty minutes I had a reply from Chief Moore in which he copied other officers. Everyone was very attentive with quick replies.
The next day I received a call from a detective and then from a captain, both assuring me that their officers were on the case. Wow, I was so impressed with our police department and how attentive they were from my one email. Then I Googled Chief Moore and realized he was actually the new Chief of LAPD! I was even more impressed that he was emailing me back!
Checking Nextdoor again, I found a message from a woman who wrote “the cops need to go where this guy hangs out.” I sent my virtual neighbor a private message asking her where that location was. Within a few emails I had a location which I sent on to the local police captain. He said he would pass the tip onto his team. A few hours later, he emailed me that officers had arrested the thief. The captain wrote: “He is connected to at least three cases. With the help of your emails and other neighbors in the vicinity, we may connect him to more!” A few days later the thief was sentenced to four years in prison.
It took a community to catch a thief. We need our neighbors to help our communities thrive and be safe. Several of my virtual neighbors have now become real friends. Neighbors are our lifeline to the entire community. Whether you live in a house, condo or apartment, it’s important to meet your neighbors. The good ones will:
The HAVEN Mech and the HAVEN Connect prevent intruders from entering your home. Use BLOG15 at checkout to receive 15% off your order now!
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I Woke Up to a Man Standing Next to My Bed
- A Cautionary Vacation Tale -
There’s been a lot of news lately about the dangers of vacation travel — especially to the Dominican Republic. The fact is, anytime you travel out of your home country, whether for business or pleasure, things can go wrong and you may need help. If you’re in a country where English is not the main language it makes it that much more difficult to find emergency help and to communicate your needs.
My parents first bought their timeshare in 1986 and every year we’d travel down to The Bahamas for at least 3 weeks. For me, I can still recall every detail of that specific trip. Unit #2 looked out on the azure blue water and was a three level unit with a kitchen, living room, powder room and dining room on the ground level. A spiral staircase took you up to the second floor where the master bedroom and a guest room were located. The staircase continued up ending at the top bedroom loft which didn’t have a door. That was always my room where I could keep the curtains slightly open when I slept so I could wake up with the sun. I also wore earplugs periodically since I could hear everyone downstairs talking in the living room. The sound carried up like a bullhorn.
When we arrived at the resort, the cleaning people were still there as I walked around checking the doors. I did notice the lock on the dining room slider was not working properly, but as it was attached to an enclosed patio with a twelve foot high wall around it, I didn’t say anything.
We stayed in most evenings since it was hard for my dad to get around. For my birthday, my sister and I picked up some food from a nice restaurant down the street and brought it in. After a lovely dinner and opening some fabulous gifts, I decided to head upstairs to bed. I started packing for my return trip and had lots of things laid out on the other bed. Everyone was watching TV downstairs and with my parents poor hearing, it was turned up very loud so I wore my earplugs that night. That one night.
Somewhere around 2:15AM, in a deep sleep, I felt something touch my leg. I turned my head opening my eyes to see the silhouette of a man dressed in only a bathing suit standing next to my bed. Within seconds, I was on my feet running and screaming THERE’S SOMEONE IN THE HOUSE with a husky, rough voice. As I chased him down the stairs unable to say anything else over and over and over again, my sister ran out of her room as did my parents from theirs.
When I got to the bottom step, logic took over telling me to be cautious. I looked around the living room and then I saw the dining room slider slightly ajar. I also saw the kitchen door open. Both had been locked before we went to bed. They both lead out to the enclosed patio with that twelve foot high wall. I ran to the kitchen door still screaming. All I saw was the arm and top of the head of the intruder hanging over the other side of the wall. I stood there screaming into the wind THERE’S SOMEONE IN THE HOUSE, hearing only the ocean waves crashing and thinking no one could hear me.
There was only one phone downstairs in the unit. There was no emergency number posted on it and we had to search for the overnight call number to reach the security booth. It didn’t look like anything had been stolen as everything was in its place. When the general manager and head of security arrived, we realized that cash had been taken from our wallets. Credit cards and other ID’s were left behind as were our iPads and electronics. The odd thing was my moms purse, which was in a bureau drawer near the entryway, had been taken out then a rubber band removed from around her wallet, $130 in cash taken, the rubber band was put back on, the wallet was tucked back into the purse and the purse placed back in the drawer. This guy had time and he was a pro. In my room, my wallet was zipped up but $40 was missing and my Tiffany watch and another watch were gone along with a ring from my nightstand. He was only looking for cash and jewelry.
On the counter near the dining room slider we found two kitchen knives. One clearly had a fingerprint on the blade. Even with the slider latched, the guy was able to pull the glass apart just enough to slide the blade in and pull the latch up and open. I wish I hadn’t worn my earplugs that night...I know I would have heard something downstairs. The head of security reviewed the tapes and said she saw nothing outside. The camera was 4 units down and a large palm frond hung down covering its field of vision.
Two officers showed up and took my statement. When I finished my statement the officer asked “So what do you want us to do about this? Investigate it?” Hmm, I thought, ‘Isn’t that your job?’ I looked at the resort GM and said “now that everyone out by the pool knows what happened, I would think you would want to investigate this, especially since it looks like an inside job.” It didn’t take a CSI investigator to realize someone knew the slider was defective and that the camera was missing. Also, those knives came from another unit. The cops who were completely disinterested took some tissues and placed the knives in a used zip lock I handed them from the kitchen. One officer just said, “well you can buy new things.”
The Caribbean is one of the most dangerous places in the world (https://www.cheatsheet.com/culture/the-most-dangerous-caribbean-islands-and-countries-you-can-visit.html/). Many incidents like the one I just described are kept quiet by the governments who don’t want tourism to drop. Tourism for most of these islands is their main source of income. I was able to recover money through the resorts insurance, but I also had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. I cannot tell this story and name the resort nor can I mention anything on social media naming the resort. But I can tell you that the resort was decimated during Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and had to be leveled.
Nothing will erase the memory of what happened or what I’ve learned. Here are some things to remember while you are on vacation:
Having had this experience changed me forever. I am definitely more cautious and aware of my surrounding than ever before. I can’t wear earplugs ever again when I sleep. I triple check the doors to make sure they are all locked.
And now I work for HAVENLock, a company which wants to make sure all of our customers are safe at home, school and work. My HAVEN Connect gives me peace of mind and lets me sleep easier at night. Hotels, timeshares and Airbnb hosts would benefit greatly from the safety HAVEN products provide. For more information, please contact us at sales@havenlock.com.
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Try these theft prevention tips to remove that target from your home:
Researching this piece has made me more aware of how comfortable I’ve become with my routine. I’ve walked out of my house on several occasions and driven a few blocks before I wondered “did I lock the door?” Yup, I had to turn around to double check…
Since adding HAVEN Connect (https://havenlock.com/products/haven-connect) to my routine, I feel my home is more secure and I definitely sleep easier at night. You will too! Feel free to use discount code BLOG15 at checkout to take 15% off your entire order of residential products.
Stay safe this summer and throughout the entire year!
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