house with lights on

4 Holiday Safety Tips Homeowners Shouldn’t Ignore

For many people, the holidays are a time to visit friends and family. For married people, the need to make appearances is usually doubled. After all, you’re obligated to see your family and theirs. In the midst of all this frequent travel, thieves are plotting. Empty houses are what they prefer, but there are a few key things you can do to deter them from targeting your home. 

Don’t Show Off On Social Media

If you’re going out of state for the holidays, then don’t shout it for the world to hear on social media. We know that this can be difficult, but doing so makes it easy for burglars to know that you’re not at home. Do yourself a favor and refrain from posting pictures and statuses until after you’ve returned.

Install Security Cameras

Most thieves don’t expect cameras at residential homes. Usually, they assume that if you’re not home, then they’re in the clear. Use this ignorance to your advantage by installing a security camera inside your property, outside your property, or both. For interior surveillance, consider picking up one of those “nanny cams” that you can hide inside a stuffed animal. 

Tell a Trusted Neighbor If You’re Going To Be Away Long

If you won’t be at home for a day or more, then let a trusted neighbor know (if you have one). If you don’t have a friend in your neighborhood, now is a good time to make one. People will be more open to keeping an eye on your house if you vow to do the same for them when you need it. 

Lock All Your Windows & Doors

Seems like a no-brainier, right? You’d be surprised how many people get robbed because they left their cellar door unlocked or their window cracked. Make sure to check every door and window–including back patio and basement doors! While you’re locking doors and windows, make a note of any locks that may be loose or not working properly. If you do find anything of the sort, be sure to consult a reliable locksmith right away.

If you are in need of a locksmith, contact All American Locksmiths today. It doesn’t matter where in Connecticut you’re located. Danbury, Bridgeport, New Haven–you name it–we’ve got you covered! 

holiday security

Keep Your Home Secure over the Holidays with These Tips

With all the excitement of the holiday season, people often get lax about security. Burglars know that many people have homes filled with gifts intended for family and friends. In addition, setting the clocks back means it gets dark earlier, which can make it easier for thieves to slip in and out of houses undetected. Here are some tips to keep your home secure this holiday season.

Protect Valuable Gifts

If you plan to order gifts online, don’t have anything expensive delivered to your house when no one is home. Have purchases sent to a trusted neighbor’s house or to your workplace, or pick them up at the store.

Keep any expensive gifts you buy, such as electronics, out of sight. Put them in a closet, if possible. If you can’t do that, keep the curtains drawn in the room where you store them.

Be careful about where and how you dispose of the boxes that valuable gifts came in. If you leave a box that contained an expensive item on the curb in plain view, anyone who sees it (including burglars) will know that that item is inside your house.

Keep Your Home Secure

Lock your doors and windows, including those on upper floors, whether you are home or not. A burglar could slip into your Bridgeport residence and take off in seconds with your belongings or gifts you bought for your loved ones.

Install a security system if you don’t already have one. It should contact the police automatically if a sign of a break-in is detected. Consider a security system that allows you to monitor a video feed on your smartphone.

Make sure the outside of your house is well lit. Motion-activated lights can alert you if an intruder enters your yard.

If you plan to go away to visit others around the holidays, don’t make it obvious that your home is unoccupied. Use timers to turn lights on and off randomly. Have a neighbor pick up your mail or have the post office hold it. Park a car in the garage or driveway to make it appear that someone is home.

Don’t Overshare Online

Be careful what you post on social media since burglars often use it to choose houses to rob. If you plan to go away, only tell people who need to know, not everyone on social media. Don’t talk online about your holiday shopping plans or expensive gifts you have bought or received.

Don’t Let Thieves Ruin Your Holidays

The holiday season is a joyful time for many, but for burglars, it’s a time when people have homes filled with valuables and let their guard down. Keep your home secure so you don’t become a victim. If you want to upgrade your security, All American Locksmiths can install new deadbolt locks at your Connecticut or Westchester County home. Contact us today to learn more.

woman screaming in fright

2 Extreme Reasons You Need a Locksmith

Happy October!

We’re getting into the spirit of this SpoOky month of October and thinking about the extreme, horrifying and eerie reasons why you might be in need of a locksmith. Our services are here to protect you from panic and terror. If you run into a hair-raising situation, knowing your locksmith is only a call away can keep you from screaming in fright.

Here are 2 extreme reasons why you might need a locksmith in New Haven, Connecticut.

1.    Spine-Chilling Weather

New England is home to one of the most finicky seasons of the year. Our winter months can go from mildly cool temps to being bone-chilling, ice cold and unbearable outside. If you’ve realized that you locked yourself out of your home or lost your car keys and you’re standing outside in the frigid cold with hypothermia at risk, then calling a locksmith is critical.

2.      Creepy Vibes Around

If you’ve ever had to walk by yourself through a large empty lot, or even the woods alone, at night, then you know how creepy this can be. Maybe you’re the last one to leave work at night and suddenly the bustling garage is now just a big black, empty space where you find yourself searching for your keys and trying to get to your car before all those masked murders from your nightmare suddenly appear (okay this is extreme but some of us have been there). If you can’t seem to find your keys or remember where you put them, you can call a locksmith to come out and help get you unlocked and safely inside without having to navigate through the situation alone.

While the scenarios above are just a fun way to incorporate some Halloween festivities and you’re likely to never run into some of the extreme situations we mentioned, it is important that you find a local locksmith in the area that can trust to come whenever you have a lock emergency or fix.

All America Locksmiths has been serving the local Connecticut community and Westchester County, New York businesses and residents with fast reliable locksmith services for years.

Get in touch today!