PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

HOME SECURITY TIP

In some cases readers may have official/private residences where security guarding and/or security measures are provided by the Nigeria Police. These activities/measures will already be subject to security approval and review by the Divisional Police Officer and are not covered fully within this general set of guidelines.

This section is divided into the following sub-sections:

	1.	Compound perimeter and gates
	2.	Doors and windows
	3.	Safe area
. ,	4.	Lighting
	5.	Visitors
	6.	Private Security Guards
	7.	Domestic Staff/Drivers

1.COMPOUND PERIMETER AND GATES

• Compounds surrounding your home should provide two functions. Firstly create a physical barrier to prevent intrusion and secondly create a visual obstruction to stop anyone observing activities within the ground floor of your home, garden and car park.
• Trees and shrubs provide a good barrier but it is important that they do not become overgrown. All foliage should be pruned so as not to provide an easy means to access your compound or a means to hide intruders or devices within the compound.
• Compound gates should be properly secured and all notices indicating your identity should be removed.
• Install CCTV facilities around your home. They deter criminals and aid police investigation in the event of any breach. They are very cheap.

2.DOORS AND WINDOWS

• Where security locks are provided, they should be secure at all times, especially overnight or during periods of absence.
• Good quality locks should be fitted to all access doors.
• All windows and glazed areas should be obscured by blinds or curtains, which should be closed at dusk and lights should not be switched on within rooms until the curtains have been drawn.

3.SAFE HAVEN

• A safe haven is an area that your family and yous should retreat to in the case of a perceived incident within the grounds of your home. It is designed to provide a small area for use up to a period of approximately 2 hours until the police or other security force can respond and check the safety of your home and compound.
• Designate a small safe area within your home that can be secured internally to prevent access from the rest of the house should an intrusion take place. This should be secured by means of a security lock leading to the area immediately outside the safe haven. This should be readily secured overnight or in cases of an emergency.
  
  Within the safe haven the following should be available during an  emergency:
• Toilet Facilities
• Bedding
• Fresh Water
• Candles, matches, flashlight
• Telephone facilities with a list of emergency numbers
• Extra batteries
• Medical/FirstAid kit
• Short term emergency food supply
• Fire Extinguisher
• Ensure that phone numbers of the local Police Division is known to all your household.

4.LIGHTING

• During the hours of darkness, light the exterior of your home with courtesy type lighting especially close to the areas of external doors.
• Always have reserve lighting available within the home in case of power cuts.
• Never switch an internal hall light on prior to answering a call at your door. If a generator is available, ensure that external lighting is provided
  during a power cut.

5.VISITORS

• Check visitors before opening compound gates or external doors. If in doubt, do not open them.
• You should ask friends and relatives to let you know in advance that they will be calling at your home so that you can inform your family and security staff to expect them
• Arrange fixed times for workmen to call and ensure that their identity is checked on arrival. Do not leave workmen alone in your home without supervision .
• Consider keeping a dog - a barking dog will alert you to strangers!

6. PRIVATE SECURITY GUARDS

• Trusted and Properly Vetted Private Security Guards provide an outer layer of security to restrict vehicular movement around the area of your home, particularly during the hours of darkness. This is useful in preventing strangers getting access close to your home.
• If you have a private security guard at your home it is important that they should be fully aware of any security procedures and policies that are in place. To ensure that this is the case, you should provide instructions to them that leave no ambiguity in the security duties and procedures that are to be carried out i.e. dealing with unexpected callers or patrolling around the property.

7. DOMESTIC STAFF/DRIVERS

• Where domestic staff or private drivers are employed at your home, you should ensure that they are fully aware of the security arrangements and procedures that are expected of them. In such cases the contents of this booklet should be fully explained to them.
• Where new domestic staff or drivers are to be employed, past references and backgrounds should be checked out prior to employment.
• Before engaging domestic staff (private security, nannies, cooks, drivers ( etc) contact your Divisional Police Officer to assist in conducting security vetting, capturing their biometric and undertaking criminal record check .
• Never trust domestic staff as the more you trust them, the higher the risk of compromising your personal security and that of your family.

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