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Click here for information on Identity Theft
Click here for information on Fire Safety
Click here for information in Protecting Your Electronics
Click here for information on Planning and Emergency Escape
Click here for information on Keeping Your Kids Safe
Click here for information on Fire Safety
Click here for information in Protecting Your Electronics
Click here for information on Planning and Emergency Escape
Click here for information on Keeping Your Kids Safe
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How does a burglar get into your home?
#1 - through the front door.
#4 - through the garage.
#5 - through unlocked entrances and storage areas.
#6 - through the basement.
#7 - through the second floor windows.
Other burglary facts...
• Many burglars will spend no longer than 60 seconds trying to break into a home.
• The more a burglar has to work, the less chance you have of becoming a victim.
• A burglar will bypass your home if it requires too much effort or requires more skill
and tools than they have.
cover, and with the best escape routes.
• A burglar is less likely to attempt to enter a well-lit residence.
• Most burglars enter homes through an open or unlocked window or door.
• One out of every four burglaries involve forced entry.
• The most common way used to force entry through a door with a wooden frame is
to kick it open.
• The majority of home burglaries occur during the daytime when people are away at
work or at school.
• Most home burglars are looking for things that are small, expensive, and can be
converted to cash (jewelry, guns, watches, small antiques, laptop computers).
Secure your front door or entrance.
• All doors should be hung with hinges on the inside.
• Replace hollow core outer doors with solid wood or metal doors.
• Install deadbolt locks that have at least a one inch throw bolt.
• Insure that there is at least forty inches between adjoining windows and door. If you
have windows on or near your doors, install a double cylinder deadbolt that requires a
key to open from the outside and the inside.
• Install a wide-angle security peephole in your door and use it to screen visitors before
opening the door.
• Install an ornamental iron screen door (available at most home improvement stores)
that opens out rather than in.
• Maintain good lighting, especially at front entrances.
• Remove bushes or other items that obstruct view of windows or doors.
• Never hide your keys outside. Give an extra key to a friend or family member instead.
• Never put an identification tag on your key ring.
• Re-key locks when you move into a new house or apartment.
Secure your windows.
• Ensure that all windows have working locks.
• Use window pins, track fillers or a wood pole to prevent windows from opening more
than four inches.
• Cut back tree limbs that could use to climb to an upper-level window
• Store ladders or other objects that would allow a burglar to reach your roof or second
story windows.
• Secure basement windows with grilles, grates or glass block.
• Secure roof openings, air conditioners and exhaust systems.
• Window air conditioning units should be bolted to the wall to prevent them from
being easily removed from the outside.
• Consider installing window grates or grilles (but make sure the devices can be easily
detached to allow quick escape during a fire or other emergency).
• Consider laminated, tempered, wired or plastic windows.
Secure your back entrances and yard.
• Secure back doors and entrances in the same manner as front entrances.
• For sliding glass door use window pins, track fillers or a wood pole to prevent the door
from being forced open. Use locking devices that secure the doors to the frame or
track.
• Adjusting the sliding door's track clearances so they can't be pushed or lifted out of
their tracks.
• Consider removing or replacing a privacy fence that may provide cover for a burglar.
• A barking dog is a proven deterrent to burglars.
• Add sufficient lighting to the back and sides of your home.
• Install a hedge around the perimeter of your yard. Hedges should be wide, rather
than high, and of a prickly, thorny variety.
Secure garages and out buildings.
• Padlock garages and out buildings when not in use..
• Make sure to keep your garage door closed, even if you're only going to be away for
a few minutes.
• Put away items like sports equipment, lawn mowers, portable grills and bicycles.
Provide adequate lighting.
• Use outdoor lighting to diminish places to hide.
• Use indoor lighting to give the impression that a home is occupied.
• Keep any entryways well lit.
• Use motion detecting flood lights aimed into the yard and other approach paths.
• Place lights out of reach so that the bulbs can't be removed broken.
• Use timers on indoor lights near the front and back windows with the curtains drawn.
• Exterior lights left on all day is a giveaway that you are out of town. Use timers or
photo-cells on external lights to turn on at dusk and turn off at dawn.
Use good locks.
• Use high quality locks that resist twisting, prying, and lock-picking attempts.
• A quality deadbolt lock will have a beveled casing to resist channel-lock pliers used for
forced entry.
• A quality door knob lock set will have a dead-latch mechanism to prevent slipping the
lock with a shim or credit card.
• Use a quality, heavy-duty, deadbolt lock with a one-inch throw bolt.
• Use a heavy-duty, four-screw, strike plate with 3-inch screws to penetrate into a
wooden door frame and stud.
When your house is unoccupied.
• Ask a neighbor or friend to watch your home when you're away.
• Ask a neighbor or friend to pickup your paper, handbills, mail, mow your lawn or bring
in your trash receptacle while you're away.
• Put a hold on your mail and deliveries while on vacation.
• Leave shades, blinds, and curtains in normal positions.
• Never leave an "I'm away!" message on your answering machine or front door.
General home security tips.
• Make a list of your valuables - VCRs, stereos, computers, jewelry. Take photos of the
items, list their serial numbers and description.
• Engrave your valuables.
• Don't leave keys in you car.
• Don't dispose of new appliance boxes in public.
• Place highly visible decals on the glass door near the latch mechanism that indicates
that an alarm system, a dog, or block watch/operation identification is in place.
• Get to know all your adjacent neighbors and agree to watch out for each other's
home.
• Use light timers to turn on radios or television sets to enhance the illusion of
occupancy.
• Consider a home safe to protect the jewelry, small collections, handguns, important
documents, medications, and irreplaceable family heirlooms and pictures.
• Make sure that your address is clearly visible from the street during the day and night.
#1 - through the front door.
#4 - through the garage.
#5 - through unlocked entrances and storage areas.
#6 - through the basement.
#7 - through the second floor windows.
Other burglary facts...
• Many burglars will spend no longer than 60 seconds trying to break into a home.
• The more a burglar has to work, the less chance you have of becoming a victim.
• A burglar will bypass your home if it requires too much effort or requires more skill
and tools than they have.
cover, and with the best escape routes.
• A burglar is less likely to attempt to enter a well-lit residence.
• Most burglars enter homes through an open or unlocked window or door.
• One out of every four burglaries involve forced entry.
• The most common way used to force entry through a door with a wooden frame is
to kick it open.
• The majority of home burglaries occur during the daytime when people are away at
work or at school.
• Most home burglars are looking for things that are small, expensive, and can be
converted to cash (jewelry, guns, watches, small antiques, laptop computers).
Secure your front door or entrance.
• All doors should be hung with hinges on the inside.
• Replace hollow core outer doors with solid wood or metal doors.
• Install deadbolt locks that have at least a one inch throw bolt.
• Insure that there is at least forty inches between adjoining windows and door. If you
have windows on or near your doors, install a double cylinder deadbolt that requires a
key to open from the outside and the inside.
• Install a wide-angle security peephole in your door and use it to screen visitors before
opening the door.
• Install an ornamental iron screen door (available at most home improvement stores)
that opens out rather than in.
• Maintain good lighting, especially at front entrances.
• Remove bushes or other items that obstruct view of windows or doors.
• Never hide your keys outside. Give an extra key to a friend or family member instead.
• Never put an identification tag on your key ring.
• Re-key locks when you move into a new house or apartment.
Secure your windows.
• Ensure that all windows have working locks.
• Use window pins, track fillers or a wood pole to prevent windows from opening more
than four inches.
• Cut back tree limbs that could use to climb to an upper-level window
• Store ladders or other objects that would allow a burglar to reach your roof or second
story windows.
• Secure basement windows with grilles, grates or glass block.
• Secure roof openings, air conditioners and exhaust systems.
• Window air conditioning units should be bolted to the wall to prevent them from
being easily removed from the outside.
• Consider installing window grates or grilles (but make sure the devices can be easily
detached to allow quick escape during a fire or other emergency).
• Consider laminated, tempered, wired or plastic windows.
Secure your back entrances and yard.
• Secure back doors and entrances in the same manner as front entrances.
• For sliding glass door use window pins, track fillers or a wood pole to prevent the door
from being forced open. Use locking devices that secure the doors to the frame or
track.
• Adjusting the sliding door's track clearances so they can't be pushed or lifted out of
their tracks.
• Consider removing or replacing a privacy fence that may provide cover for a burglar.
• A barking dog is a proven deterrent to burglars.
• Add sufficient lighting to the back and sides of your home.
• Install a hedge around the perimeter of your yard. Hedges should be wide, rather
than high, and of a prickly, thorny variety.
Secure garages and out buildings.
• Padlock garages and out buildings when not in use..
• Make sure to keep your garage door closed, even if you're only going to be away for
a few minutes.
• Put away items like sports equipment, lawn mowers, portable grills and bicycles.
Provide adequate lighting.
• Use outdoor lighting to diminish places to hide.
• Use indoor lighting to give the impression that a home is occupied.
• Keep any entryways well lit.
• Use motion detecting flood lights aimed into the yard and other approach paths.
• Place lights out of reach so that the bulbs can't be removed broken.
• Use timers on indoor lights near the front and back windows with the curtains drawn.
• Exterior lights left on all day is a giveaway that you are out of town. Use timers or
photo-cells on external lights to turn on at dusk and turn off at dawn.
Use good locks.
• Use high quality locks that resist twisting, prying, and lock-picking attempts.
• A quality deadbolt lock will have a beveled casing to resist channel-lock pliers used for
forced entry.
• A quality door knob lock set will have a dead-latch mechanism to prevent slipping the
lock with a shim or credit card.
• Use a quality, heavy-duty, deadbolt lock with a one-inch throw bolt.
• Use a heavy-duty, four-screw, strike plate with 3-inch screws to penetrate into a
wooden door frame and stud.
When your house is unoccupied.
• Ask a neighbor or friend to watch your home when you're away.
• Ask a neighbor or friend to pickup your paper, handbills, mail, mow your lawn or bring
in your trash receptacle while you're away.
• Put a hold on your mail and deliveries while on vacation.
• Leave shades, blinds, and curtains in normal positions.
• Never leave an "I'm away!" message on your answering machine or front door.
General home security tips.
• Make a list of your valuables - VCRs, stereos, computers, jewelry. Take photos of the
items, list their serial numbers and description.
• Engrave your valuables.
• Don't leave keys in you car.
• Don't dispose of new appliance boxes in public.
• Place highly visible decals on the glass door near the latch mechanism that indicates
that an alarm system, a dog, or block watch/operation identification is in place.
• Get to know all your adjacent neighbors and agree to watch out for each other's
home.
• Use light timers to turn on radios or television sets to enhance the illusion of
occupancy.
• Consider a home safe to protect the jewelry, small collections, handguns, important
documents, medications, and irreplaceable family heirlooms and pictures.
• Make sure that your address is clearly visible from the street during the day and night.