There’s a few normal household items that are very commonly stolen, simply because they weren’t secured in the first place. These items are usually overlooked from the security protocol protection that more typical items are given. Here’s a guide from the residential and commercial security experts at Top Locksmith on the 5 most commonly items that don’t get secured.
Jewelry
Jewelry can (and always should!) be protected inside hidden safes, but many people don’t take these essential security steps. Jewelry is often left unguarded inside very obvious jewelry boxes which, while luxurious, are out in the open and the number one object that burglars look for first. We recommend protecting your jewelry further by taking out a jewelry insurance policy that covers the eventualities of loss or theft.
Power Tools
Power tools are quite expensive, but lack the prestige of fancy electronics. They are often left unprotected, out in the open, in sheds or garages that are accessible from outdoors and often not even protected with deadbolt locks! Make sure to engrave all your power tools with your house number and name, or mark them thusly with an ultraviolet pen, to make it easier for them to be identified as stolen if a burglar tries to resell them. For a first step, however, secure all sheds and garages with powerful locks, and lock your expensive power tools in a larger storage container.
Medication
Burglars have begun stealing medication, as it can easily be re-sold on the black market. Pain medication is of special significance as a target for thieves, not to mention their immense danger when they fall into the hands of small children. Medicine cabinets should be inaccessible to small children, and secure from the prying hands of potential thieves.
Password Information
We don’t recommend writing down your passwords or credit card/ banking information, as this inherently makes your information insecure in the eventuality that a (highly targeted) burglar finds it inside your home. If you must store a document with all of your passwords protected, make sure it’s locked in a high quality and secure safe (if it’s a physical document) or that it’s hidden behind an encrypted or password protected file folder if it’s digital information.
Documents
Make sure to protect important and private documents like birth certificates, tax returns, contracts, passports, or any other valuable and identity sensitive information. All these documents need to be protected inside fire-proof safes. If you find that you no longer need any of these documents, make sure to shred them, because there are totally information thieves out there that sort through trash in the hopes of gathering this sensitive information for their own criminal benefit.