Think you’ve got a hiding spot that’s guaranteed to fool professional thieves? Think again. These five bad hiding spots tend to be the first places burglars check when executing a robbery.  A Portable Safe  A portable safe might as well be marked with a bright red sign that says, “steal me!” Everyone knows that safes […]

Let’s be honest: No one gets everything they asked for during the holiday season. In fact, most of us receive a couple gifts that we didn’t ask for, usually from well-intentioned coworkers and acquaintances who don’t know us very well. If you’ve got a couple items you’d like to exchange for some quick cash, local […]

No list of classic holiday movies is complete without “Home Alone,” the hilarious Christmas comedy in which protagonist Kevin McCallister cleverly outwits two house burglars. While we don’t recommend icing your doorsteps and swinging paint cans from the top of your stairs, the movie does teach some valuable real-world lessons about home security and access […]

Halloween is about candy, costumes, and fun, but here are some Halloween statistics that are downright spooky:  Insurance claims for home theft are about 60% higher on Halloween Theft-related crimes jump by 21% on Halloween night Car theft increases by 5% on Halloween night Halloween usually has the highest average number of insurance claims filed […]

 If you’re heading off to college for your first roommate-less year, you might be a little worried about living alone for the first time. Not to worry! Living alone has tons of perks and benefits that you simply can’t get from sharing a space. After following these tips, you might even find you prefer living […]

If you’re heading to the beach, overseas, or somewhere else this summer, make sure that you’ve taken the necessary steps to protect your house while you’re gone. Below are a few ways to lock up and get peace of mind while you’re away, so you can fully relax and enjoy your trip!   Install a light […]

In a perfect world, people would be able to plant some delicious fruits and veggies in a publicly-accessible place without worrying that someone else will nab the results. Unfortunately, that’s not the world we live in. As strange as it may seem, people really do steal vegetables and plants from their neighbors and unprotected community […]

Almost 26 million Americans say they’ve had a package stolen from a porch or doorstep during the holidays, according to a 2017 survey. And even though it’s not holiday season anymore, porch pirates are still doubtlessly taking advantage of the balmy weather to cruise around neighborhoods, looking for packages to snatch. Here are some ways to protect […]

Everyone love dogs. (Okay, almost everyone. At least, we do). Their faithfulness, companionship, and boundless energy are among life’s greatest gifts. However, a guard dog is no replacement for a home security system. Unfortunately, at James Fence & Gate we often see instances where clients’ homes were vandalized despite the presence of a large dog. […]

Mormon missionaries. Jehovah’s Witnesses. Door-to-door salespersons. All of these people have a habit of coming up to your door, ringing your doorbell, and interrupting what you were doing with a pitch you didn’t ask for. If you’re sick and tired of getting up and answering the door, just to have to listen to somebody’s spiel, […]