Since my specialty is security here it is IMHO:


HOME SECURITY

- Have deadbolts on all exterior doors, to include basement and/or doors that lead to the garage.

- Lock all windows

- If you have sliding doors use a piece of a broom stick to keep door from opening. If you attach a piece of string to the handle of the door and the broom stick then you can easily remove the stick in an emergency. Just put a loop around the handle.

- Have flashlights by all beds and in bathrooms.

- If you have children get a dog not a gun. It takes years to train with a firearm to be able to grab it in the middle of the night, identify your target (friend or foe), aim in complete darkness and hit your target. I have heard too many stories of parents waking up and shooting at a loved one that they thought was suppose to be somewhere else.

- Unless you have gobs of money to spend, an alarm system is useless. Let me explain...when someone breaks into your home it takes several minutes for the system to actually send out the alarm, this reduces the chance of a false alarm. If you opened the door and forgot to take the kids out of the van, it doesn't make sense for the alarm company to send out the SWAT team. So a lot of companies wait a set amount of time and then try calling your house to insure everyhthing is OK. Professionals know this so if they want something that you have they will build intelligence and hit when least expected. Don't pay attention to the Brinks commercials, unless you are a VIP that can be held for ransom, no one is going to break into your house while you are making dinner. Just get the stickers, they will probably keep the neighborhood problem kids away, but even a system won't help with the pros.

- If you have teenagers, set a curfew, know where they will be and who they will be with, have phone numbers for their friends and their friends' parents, if they are late call them. Keep calling until they answer or if after a half hour call their friends, if no luck call their friends' parents. Again too many stories of kids who got "LOST" from their freinds at a party and things didn't go so well.

I could add a lot more to the list but I guess this is a good start...