Click here for Tips for single ladies You',re a woman living alone and want to feel safe in your home, but you don',t know where or how to start? This article will give you some quick tips on what kind of safety steps can be taken for when you are at home by yourself. 19 Safety Tips For Women Living Alone: Single And Safe. It’s no surprise to anyone that single women living alone can be an easy target. They are generally at greater risk of becoming a victim of crime. Living alone can be scary, but there are a few easy steps to make it safer and more enjoyable. I’m going to share some of my favorite safety tips for living alone as a woman. How I make my home a safe place. We’re all in this together! Let’s talk about how we can keep ourselves safe while living on our own. The number of women living alone in the United States has grown and will keep growing for many more years. Today approximately 23.5 million American women live alone, more than ever before. That’s largely because we’re staying single longer. – washingtonpost.com. Women generally live longer than men. Between 10,000 and 12,000 people turn 65 every single day. So, the number of women living alone will only keep growing for quite some time. How Do You Protect Yourself As A Woman If You Are Alone? For women who are living alone, no matter what age, protecting oneself should be a top priority. After all, most women are not trained in self defense nor are they strong enough to fight off an attacker. This increases their chances of becoming a victim in their own homes. There are two things that all women who are alone should practice: Being Vigilant Being Prepared. Vigilance means being careful and watching out for possible dangers or difficulties. It means being aware of your surroundings – both the environment and the people in it. Being prepared means having “what if” type of plans. What if I get attacked from behind? What if there’s a fire in the kitchen? What if someone breaks down my front door? What do I do if my credit card got stolen? Planning on what you might be able to do in “what if” situations can help you to better respond to them. In my 40 years in law enforcement, I have come to believe the key to survival is vigilance. – Chief Paul M. Cell – President of International Association of Chiefs of Police (2018/2019) Think of these as “escape plans” for each of the scenarios that might occur. Safety Tips For Living Alone In An Apartment. As a woman, living in an apartment alone can be daunting. However, there are a few simple steps you can take to make sure that your living space is secure and comfortable. 1. Make sure your door is locked at all times and that windows are securely closed. Use deadbolts and other security measures whenever possible. Don’t open the door for anyone you don’t know or trust. Install a peephole so you can identify visitors before opening the door. 2. Install window locks or safety bars on all windows and doors to ensure no one can access your home without permission. 3. Be aware of your surroundings. Whenever you come home, make sure that there are no strangers lurking around the area. If you ever feel unsafe, go to a public place or call for help. 4. It’s important to be familiar with fire safety and have an escape plan in case of an emergency. Make sure all exits are clearly marked, and that you have a fire extinguisher or smoke detector in the apartment. 5. Talk to your neighbors about safety concerns. Make sure they know who you are, so they can look out for each other. If someone suspicious is in the building, alert them to be extra vigilant. 6. Don’t keep your valuables in plain sight. Keep your windows and doors locked, even when you are home, to prevent theft. 7. Take precautionary measures against intruders by investing in security devices like deadbolts, peepholes and window bars. If someone knocks at the door, check to see who it is before opening the door. 8. Install a security system with motion sensors and an alarm. This will keep you safe in the event of a break-in, as well as alerting you if someone is trying to access your apartment while you are away. 9. Keep emergency contact information handy in case of an emergency. Make sure your family and friends know how to reach you if necessary, as well as your local police department. 10. Always keep an emergency kit on hand in case of a power outage or other unexpected event. This should include flashlights, batteries, non-perishable food items, blankets and first aid supplies. 11. Lastly, use common sense and stay alert. Be aware of your surroundings when you are out and about, and trust your instincts if something doesn’t feel right. 12. Never let strangers into your apartment, and always lock up when you leave the house. Following these simple tips will help keep you safe while living alone in an apartment. 19 Safety Tips If You Are Home Alone (and Safety Products) When you are home alone, take some simple steps to make sure that you are as safe as possible from a home invasion. Some of these following tips may seem like common sense. Or you may be learning them for the first time. Either way, I hope that they can help to keep you away from dangerous situations. Here are 19 important safety tips and safety products for a single woman living alone. 1. Get To Know Your Neighbors. The first step is to get to know your neighbors, especially if you’ve recently moved into a new place. Invite them over for coffee or a meal, etc. They may come in handy when and if you need them. I know that it can be difficult so make the initial move. You don’t need to be best friends with them (but wouldn’t that be nice?) I do urge you to try. You will want to at least exchange phone numbers them. And if you can get to know them and trust them you can exchange spare keys with them as well. 2. Neighborhood Watch Programs. If your neighborhood has a Neighborhood Watch Program, consider joining it. If there isn’t one – then consider creating one! Having a program like this in place can give you some peace of mind and it’s a great way to get to know your neighbors. 3. Be A Bit Nosy Like Gladys Kravitz. A character on the TV show Bewitched, Gladys Kravitz, was a nosy neighbor. She was often seen looking out the window checking on her neighbors. I am not saying you need to be like Gladys. My point is that it’s important to be vigilant about what’s happening outside your door. So, check for suspicious activity and pay attention to things like… The type of cars your neighbors drive. In case you notice a strange car parked on your street. Take notice of your neighbors’ habits. Say you have a neighbor that always raises her window blinds every morning. But you notice that they are still down by mid-morning – call her to make sure she is okay. Report any suspicious person or activity to your local police. But – if it doesn’t seem like an emergency – justify your suspicion first. Say you notice a person in your neighbors’ yard – call your neighbor first before you call the police. 4. Home Security System. One of the best ways to protect yourself and your home is to install a home security system. I like the SimpliSafe alarm system because it is affordable, easy to set up and very customizable. I love that I can buy several panic buttons from them and place them throughout the house. 5. Outdoor Motion Sensor Lighting. The illuminating effects of outdoor security lighting can also serve as a crime deterrent by removing the cloak of darkness that burglars and other home intruders prefer to hide in. A light that suddenly illuminates an area that a criminal is lurking around or planning to hide in can quickly foil his plans. – GlobalSecurityExperts.com. There are many different kinds of motion sensor lights that you can choose from: Where To Install Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights? It makes sense to install motion sensor lights by all points of entry into your home. These could include any of the following: Garage door All exterior doorways Outdoor walkways Areas hidden by bushes and/or trees. 6. Outdoor Security Cameras. Besides motion sensor lights, you may also want to install an outdoor security camera. Contact your security company and see if they offer outdoor security cameras too. Otherwise – you can install a camera like this one by Mibao. It offers features such as two way audio, night vision, motion detection and more. Read more about it here. Are Outdoor Security Cameras Worth It? There’s no doubt that outdoor security cameras offer three main benefits. It can help to deter criminals It can be a tool to help identify troublemakers It offers the homeowner the ability to monitor their property in real time Some are inexpensive. It’s my opinion that these benefits make outdoor security cameras worthwhile. 7. Smart Doorbells.
