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Check The Locks
Check The Doors
Check The
Outside
Consider An
Alarm
Burglars Do More
Than Steal
There Is More You
Can Do
Relevant links
How
to Prevent Business Burglary Loss
Prevent Home
Burglary
How
to Prevent Home Burglary
How to Prevent
Home Burglary
Burglary
Questions
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If you were locked out of your house, would you still be
able to get in? Maybe you keep an unlocked window in the back, or a hidden key in your mailbox or on top
of a window ledge?
You may think this is a good idea, but guess what? If you can break in,
so can a burglar!
One out of ten homes will be burglarized this year. For a small amount of
time and money you can make your home more secure and reduce your chances
of being a victim.
Many burglars will spend no longer than 60 seconds to try into a home. Good lock and good neighbor watch
out for each other can be big deterrents
to burglars.
Did you know that in almost half of all
completed residential burglaries, thieves simply breezed in through
unlocked doors or crawled through unlocked windows?
Make sure every external door has a sturdy, well-installed dead bolt
lock. Key-in-the-knob locks alone are not enough.
Sliding glass doors can offer easy access if they are not properly
secured. You can secure them by installing commercially available lock or
putting a broomstick or dowel in the inside track to jam the door. To
prevent the door being lifted off the track, drill a hole through the
sliding door frame and the fixed frame. Then insert a pin the hole.
Lock double-hung windows with key locks or "pin" windows by drilling a
small hole into a 45 degree angle between the inner and outer removed.
Secure basement windows with grilles or grates.
Instead of hiding key around the outside of your home, give an extra
key to a neighbor you trust.
When you move into a new house or apartment, re-key the lock.
A lock on a flimsy door is about
as effective as locking your car door but leaving the window down.
All outside doors should be metal or solid wood.
If your doors do not fit tightly in their frames, install weather
stripping around them.
Install a peephole or wide-angel viewer in all entry doors so you can
see who is outside without opening the door. Door chains break easily and
do not keep out intruders.
Look at your house from the outside.
Make sure you know the following tips:
Thieves hate bright lights. Install outside lights and keep them on at
night.
Keep your yard clean. Prunes back shrubbery so it does not hide doors
or windows. Cut back tree limbs that a thief could use to climb to upper-level windows.
Clearly display your house number so police and other emergency
vehicles can find your home quickly.
If you travel, create the illusion that you are at home by getting
some timers that will turn lights on and off in different areas of your
house throughout the evening. Lights burning 24 hours a day signal an
empty house.
Leave shades, blinds, and curtains in normal positions. In addition,
do not let your mail pile up! Call the post office to stop delivery or
have a neighbor pick it up.
Make a list of your valuables- VCRs, stereos, computers, and jewelry. Take
photos of the items, list their serial numbers and descriptions. Check
with law enforcement about engraving your valuables through Operation
Identification.
Ask local law enforcement for a free home security survey.
Alarms can be a good investment,
especially if you have many valuables in your home, or live in an isolated
area or one of with a history of break-ins.
Check with several companies before you buy so you can decide what
level of security fits your needs. Do business with an established company
and check references before signing a contract.
Learn how to use your system properly! Do not "cry wolf" by setting
off false alarms. People will stop paying attention and you will probably
be fined.
Some less expensive options...a sounds detecting socket that plugs into
a light fixture and makes sure the light flash when it detects certain
noises, motion sensing outdoor lights that turn on when someone
approaches, or lights with photo cells that turn on when it is dark and
off when it is light.
Burglars can commit rapes, robberies,
and assaults if they are surprised by someone coming home or pick a home
that is occupied.
If something looks questionable- a slit screen, a broken window or an
open door- do not go in. Call the police from a neighbor's house or public
phone.
At night, if you think hear someone breaking in, leave safely if you
can, then call police. If you cannot leave, lock yourself in a room with a
phone and call police. If an intruder is in your room, pretend you are
asleep.
Guns are responsible for many accidental death in the home every year. Think carefully before buying a gun. If you do own one, learn how to store
it and use it safely.
Join a Neighborhood Watch group. If one does not exist, you can start
one with help from local law enforcement.
Never leave a message on your answering machine that indicated you may
be away from home. Rather than saying "I am not at home right now," say "I
am not available right now."
Work with neighbors and local government to organize community
clean-ups. The cleaner your neighborhood, the less attractive it is to
crime.
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