How do you feel when you return to your home and find your house burgled? 

You feel outraged, violated and vulnerable. You feel that there is no safety in this place and you curse your luck and system prevailing. You call police and complain to them and if they are not able to find your stolen property then you feel frustrated. It is a common thing that some time entire family has to go out after locking the house. So when you are out the fear of burglary is always lurking in your mind.

 Whether burglary can be prevented? 

Burglary is a non-confrontational crime. The burglars enter in the house when no body is there. But this crime makes us totally insecure and unsafe. We may lose the earnings of our entire life. We may lose the valuable ornaments and other precious materials in the house which the family had been collecting and storing for years together.
In order to prevent burglary it is important to understand who commits this crime? When it happens? Why it happens?
Burglaries are committed generally by the young males looking for things, which are small, expensive, and can easily be converted into ready cash. Jewellery, camera, VCR, television, radio, cash, watches, guns, and small electronic items are high on the burglar’s list. Most of the burglary takes place in the houses where inmates are absent temporarily. It may happen during the daytime as well as during the nighttimes. In cities where both the spouses are working and children go to school are in the high risk of burglary.

It is often found that before committing the burglary the burglar selects a house that is unoccupied with easiest access, the greatest amount of cover, with best possible escape routes.
What you have to do is to make your house so difficult for the potential burglars so that the burglar cannot imagine entering in your house. So follow the following tips to prevent house burglary.

 Keep your doors locked and windows covered even in daytime.
Properly check whether the doors and windows of your house are closed and locked when you are going out.
 Fix grills on windows and glass paneled doors.
 Keep side doors pad locked and main door bolted.
 Use slam-shut locks instead of pad locks.
 Install magic eye and safety chains on doors. Look through the magic eye and ensure the door chain is secure, before opening the door to a stranger.
 Leave a light burning when you go out of town.
 Inform your neighbors about your absence from your home for a long or short period.
 Insure all valuable properties like VCR, TV etc.
 Mark valuables with an identification number like your Ration Card, Passport or Driving license number.
 Provide lights on the exit points of your house.
 Install an alarm system and learn how to use it.
 Monitor your alarm system and arrange for guard response.
 Show away ladders and tools.
 Make your home appear lived in.
 Don't keep huge amount of cash and ornaments in the house.
 Use Bank lockers.
 Don't keep the keys of the receptacles in which the valuables are kept in the keyhole or nearby places.
 Don't sleep near an open window during the night. A burglar could snatch the ornaments from you.
 Keep your bedroom locked from inside.
 Don't disturb the scene, if you notice theft in your house, wait for the arrival of police otherwise it will lead to tampering of evidence like fingerprints, footprints etc.
 Don't allow any stranger to enter your house, when you are alone without finding out his identity.
 Beware of persons coming to your house under the pretext of repairing/selling things, conducting meter readings etc.
 Don't wear heavy ornaments while traveling alone.
 Don't open your bag-containing valuable like cash and ornaments, while traveling in public places.
 Don't go alone with cash and Jewellery during the nighttimes.
 Do not record a message on answering machine telling people you are on holiday or away.

 Steps for Personal Safety 

 Always stop and think about the risk. 
 Always identify a visitor before opening the door. 
 Never allow young children to open the door to visitors. 
 Always ask representatives to provide identification. 
 Avoid walking alone at night. 
 Walk in busy well lit roads, towards traffic. 

 Beware Of Unverified Servants in Your House

 Get your domestic help's antecedents verified. 
 Give his/her photograph as well as address to the nearest Police Station for verification. 
 Get his/her background verified from previous employer. 
 Avoid giving access to his relatives and friends. 
 Avoid displaying jewellery and valuables in the house. 

Vehicle Theft: There are incidents of more two wheeler theft in Tripura rather than four wheeler theft.

 How to prevent?

 Don’t keep vehicles/two wheelers in your house compound without locking.
 Two wheelers should be kept in the safe places after tying with a chain and lock.
 When you park your vehicle/two wheeler in the parking area, ask somebody to keep an eye over it.
 Never leave the vehicle door unlocked. Nor the windows partially open. 
 Make sure that quarter glasses are properly secured.
 Never leave the key dangling in the ignition.
 Double-check all doors (including the boot) to ensure that they are properly secured.
 Do not leave valuables in your car even if it is locked.
 Cut down on extra fittings, as these tempt prospective thieves. 
 Install a car alarm.
 Never leave important documents in the glove box or boot.
 Never identify your key ring with your name.
 Do not offer a lift to anyone you do not know.
 If someone needs assistance, stop some distance away andCOMMUNICATE through locked doors and partially opened window. Always stay in the car with the engine running. Tell them you will send help.

 Do’s and Don’ts (At Residence & Office)

 Secure perimeter of the house/office.
 Trim bushes and trees around as these could block the view towards outside.
 As far as possible, use only one door and lock the rest from inside. However always provide for an escape door.
 Keep important telephone numbers of the nearest police stations, police control room, known police officers and helpful neighbors handy near the telephone.
 Visitors in the office must always be escorted by the security staff who should remain present until greetings have been exchanged.
 Encourage your friends to telephone prior to an intended visit. This reduces the number of unexpected callers to the minimum.
 Keep a watch dog at the residence.
 Open the front door only after checking the identity of the visitor through a peeping eye.
 Check all the doors and windows every night before retiring to ensure that they are properly locked/bolted from inside.
 Keep a light burning in the front door area during the hours of darkness.
 Keep a strict check on the house/office keys. If the key is lost, have a new lock fitted.
 Inform the police of the presence of suspicious vehicles or persons near the house or office.
 Know your neighbors well enough so that normally you can watch each others houses.
 Do not accept invitations on telephone to visit a place/person unless the identity of the caller is fully established.
 Do not encourage servants bring their friends, relatives into the premises.
 Ask the members of the household including servants / office staff not to disclose the whereabouts of the protected person and his future appointments to unidentified callers.
 Treat late callers with suspicion and refuse admittance unless he/she is known to you.
 Inform police at once in the event of any visitor attempting forcible entry.
 Be on the alert for signs of any surveillance since terrorists generally keep a watch on potential victims for some time before striking.

 Do’s and Don’ts (While Traveling)

 Always be alert while leaving the gate of your house or returning to the house this applies to entry and exit from the office complex as well. Keep your car doors locked while traveling/when parked in the garage.
If no garage is available, leave your car at a Place where it can be seen by everyone.
 Vary your time of departure and change your route frequently Use alternative routes occasionally though this may involve increase in commuting time. If you have a choice of vehicles, do not make full use of them. 
 Occasionally, sit beside the driver in the front seat. 
 Travel in a group to the extent possible. 
 If you think you are being followed, take a known detour and if you are still suspicious, head for the nearest police station. 
 Avoid narrow lonely dark streets and keep to the well -lit main routes especially those that pass by police posts. 
 Beware of accident scenes or broken down vehicles they may be a decoy. 
 If something unusual appears to be taking place on the road ahead, stop and turn before it is too late. 
 Give details of your intended movements to only those who need to know. 
 Ensure that someone in your family knows your whereabouts. 
 While moving in a car, open the windows only enough for ventilation. 
 Have your driver thoroughly briefed to be security conscious. Let him get training in offensive and defensive driving. 
 See that your car is not very showy. 
 While traveling by train, enter into a compartment, which is already occupied. Do not travel in a empty compartment. 
 Extend all cooperation to personal security officers in carrying out their legitimate duties. 
 Always take along security personnel including PSOs wherever provided during all journeys morning/evening walks. 
 Observe carefully what is happening outside the house/office any unusual happening should be viewed with suspicion. 
 Observe people around you wherever you are and try to remember their features. 
 Sometimes it reflects if these very people had met you or were near you sometimes somewhere. 
 In case a taxi has to be engaged, avoid hiring the first one in the line or the one, which seems to be waiting. Do not give any specific instruction to the driver about the route/destination before commencement of the journey.

Children Safety Tips

Here some good "Children Safety" information is shared. Kindly gothrough the same and share it with your group and family members.

         Parents, guardians, and adults who care for children face constant challenges when trying to help keep children safer in today's fast-paced world. For decades, children were taught to stay away from "strangers." But this concept is difficult for children to grasp and often the perpetrator is someone the child knows. It is more beneficial to help build children's confidence and teach them to respond to a potentially dangerous situation, rather than teaching them to look out for a particular type of person.
In today's world, it is vital that families know and teach their children personal safety. Here is a list of some tips most shared with parents.

● Never leave children unattended in a vehicle, whether it is running or not. Children should never be left unsupervised or allowed to spend time alone or with others in vehicles as the potential dangers to their safety outweigh any perceived convenience or "fun."
● Always accompany your child to the bathroom in a public place. Older children may want to wander off and browse alone in a mall, at the beach, etc. Do not allow this.
● Make sure you know where each of your children is at all times. Know your children's friends and be clear with your children about the places and homes they may visit. Make it a rule for your children to check in with you when they arrive at or depart from a particular location and when there is a change in plans. You should also let them know when you're running late or if your plans have changed to show the rule is for safety purposes and not being used to "check up" on them.
● Avoid buying children clothing displaying their names. A young child is usually ready to trust anyone who uses his/her name. Explain that someone who knows your name may not know you or your parents.
● Be involved in your children's activities: Know the places he or she goes and know the other adults who are involved.
● Listen to your children. Pay attention if they tell you they don't want to be with someone or go somewhere. This may be an indication of more than a personality conflict or lack of interest in the activity or event.
● Set up strict procedures with your child's school or child care centre as to whom the child will be released other than yourself. Develop a strict password with your child as a backup safety strategy. Insist that the school notify you if the child does not show up on time if he/she walks or rides the bus.
● Notice when anyone shows one or all of your children a great deal of attention or begins giving them gifts.
● Take the time to talk to your children about the person and find out why the person is acting in this way.
● If you find yourself in a position where a child appeals to you for help, be prepared to give it. Provide for a security guard or someone in authority. Keep an eye on the child and get help.
● Be sensitive to any changes in your children's behavior or attitude. Encourage openCOMMUNICATION and learn how to be an active listener. Look and listen to small cues and clues indicating something may be troubling your children, because children are not always comfortable disclosing disturbing events or feelings. This may be because they are concerned about your reaction to their problems. If your children do confide problems to you, strive to remain calm, non critical, and nonjudgmental. Listen compassionately to their concern, and work with them to get the help they need to resolve the problem.
● Practice basic safety skills with your children. Make an outing to a mall or park a "teachable" experience in which your children practice checking with you, using pay telephones, going to the restroom with a friend, and locating the adults who may be able to help if they need assistance.
● Be matter of fact and calm in discussing good and bad touch and personal safety with children. Don't teach fear, teach facts and strategies.
● Remember there is no substitute for your attention and supervision. Being available and taking time to really know and listen to your children helps build feelings of safety and security.

               And at last most important thing is that your child should know his full name, address and important phone numbers.

 

Preventive tips for citizens before investing in Non-banking FinancialEstablishments

 Go through the information disclosed by the company in its Prospectus/Brochure and pay special attention before investment to the following points: 

 Risk factors associated with the investment 
 Outstanding litigations and defaults, if any 
 Financial position of the company 
 Objectives of raising money 
 Company history 
 Background of the promoters

 Read and properly understand the risks associated with investing in deposits and other financial instruments of little known companies before undertaking any transactions.

 Assess the risk-return profile of the investment as well as the liquidity and safety aspects before making your investment decision.

 Ensure that the companies into which you are investing in have all requisite approvals and authorizations from RBI, Registrar of Companies, IRDA etc and have a valid registration certificate.

 Familiarize yourself with the rules, regulations and circulars issued by the RBI and other regulatory agencies before carrying out any transactions.

 Read the offer document carefully before investing.

 Note that past performance of a scheme or a fund is not indicative of the scheme’s or the fund’s future performance. Past performance of a scheme may or may not be sustained in future.

 Contact Complaint Officer mentioned in the letter of offer in case of any grievance against the company.

 Contact the Registrar of Companies* in case you feel that provisions of The Companies Act have been violated.

 Find out how the company is going to utilize the money raised through various instruments and check the viability of the project.

 Check and verify the background/expertise of the promoters.

 Ensure that the assets shown in the books of the company have clear and marketable title.

 Ensure that the company into which you are investing has the necessary infrastructure to carry out the activities mentioned in the scheme.

 Don’t fall prey toMARKET rumors and promises of unrealistic returns. Try to find out how the company proposes to generate these returns on invested capital.

 Don’t go by any implicit/explicit assurances made by the company inviting deposits which are too good to be true.

 Don’t invest in a scheme just because somebody is offering you a commission or other incentives, gifts etc.

 Don’t get carried away by luring advertisements.

 Don’t start investing in debt instruments** of companies unless you have understood the Risk Disclosure Documents*** as well as mechanism of grievance redressal in case of impending defaults.

* Registrar of Companies-- the person charged with the duty of holding and registering the official startup and constitutional documents of all registered companies. 

** Debt instruments--- A paper or electronic obligation that enables the issuing party to raise funds by promising to repay a lender in accordance with terms of a contract. Types of debt instruments include notes, bonds, certificates, mortgages, leases or other agreements between a lender and a borrower.

*** Risk Disclosure Documents-- A document outlining the risks involved in futures trading, such as that one may lose his/her entire investment, that it may be impossible to liquidate a position under certain market conditions, that spread positions may not be less risky than simple long or short positions, that the use of leverage can lead to large losses, that stop-loss orders may not limit one's losses, and that managed commodity accounts are subject to substantial management and advisory charges.