A security expert has tips for keeping your family safe in your home.
Think you're protected at home? Think again.
Security expert Bill Stanton, author of "Prepared Not Scared: Your Go-To Guide for Staying Safe in an Unsafe World," showed Inside Edition his tips for turning your residence into a fortress.
It starts, he said, with signs to deter bad guys from even thinking about breaking into your home.
"You don't want to make it too obvious, but you wanna get the message across," Stanton said, pointing out signs outside his own home. "So these signs are, yes, I do have a trained dog, and yes, there are cameras, where those cameras are are my business, not yours."
In addition to signs, Stanton recommends motion lights.
"Why?" he said. "Because darkness is the friend of the bad guy."
When it comes to your actual home, all doors should be given attention. For your front door, Stanton recommends a "high-integrity, pick-proof, slam-proof lock," and make sure the door is at least two inches thick.
Sliding glass doors like you might find at the back of your house are another weak point. Don't rely on a single lock for those, Stanton said.
"It's drilled into the floor, and it locks like that," he said, showing off his second lock. "All sliding doors should have something like this and this is pennies on the dollar for your peace of mind."
But what if all else fails and you find yourself caught in a home invasion? Building your own safe room could mean the difference between life and death, and it doesn't have to cost a fortune.
"Everybody thinks this is a cabinet," he said, pointing out his safe room. "But as you see it's anything but."
And just because something is outside your house doesn't mean you should forget about it.
"To many people garbage is garbage, but to the bad guy, garbage is treasure," said Stanton. "You always want to shred all your information."
For more tips, check out "Prepared Not Scared." Read Stanton's list of "27 Amazing Personal Safety Tips That Will Change Your Life" here.
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