Home Security
Burglary and other crimes often occur in homes. This survey has been designed to help you identify vulnerable areas in your home. Burglary is a crime of opportunity. If you can reduce opportunity, then you reduce your chances of becoming a victim.
Survey your home with the checklist below. Go through your home with this list carefully and systematically. Every NO check mark identifies a vulnerable area.
Keep your guard up and take a critical look at your home security every 3-4 months. Do not become lax or you may be a burglar's next victim. Remember, crime prevention is a community effort. Law enforcement cannot do it alone. Help us help you make your neighborhood a safer place to live. Why not start with your home?
SAFE PRACTICES
- Do you keep a list of valuable property?
- Do you mark your valuable property with your drivers license number?
- Do you have a list of serial numbers on your television, cameras, stereos, VCRs, etc.?
- Do you have a description, photos, or VCR tapes of other property that cannot be engraved?
- Do you avoid unnecessary display of your property by keeping your garage door closed or valuables away from open windows?
- Do you keep excess cash and other valuables in a bank?
- Are you organized so that you do not need to hide a key under the doormat or similar vicinity?
- Does your family know what to do if they discover a burglar breaking in or already in the house?
- Have you told your family to leave the house undisturbed and call the police if they discover a burglary has been committed?
- Do you have a security closet with a solid core door, pinned hinges, and deadbolt lock?
- Do you have 9-1-1 stickers or emergency phone numbers listed on your phone?
- Do you keep your door locked at all times, even when you are in the house
EXTERIOR
- Are your trees and shrubs trimmed to eliminate hiding places?
- Are lights installed around the perimeter of your house?
- Do you leave lights on in the front and rear of your home all night?
- Is your house number illuminated or easily visible from the street during all hours?
- Have you limited access to the second floor and roof by locking up your ladder and avoiding climbable trellises and drainpipes?
- Do you keep your side gate locked?
DOORS AND ENTRY
- Are your exterior doors of solid core construction?
- Do entry doors have a wide-angle viewer?
- Do exterior doors have cylinder-type deadbolt locks with at least a one-inch throw and beveled cylinder guard?
- Do the doors without cylinder locks have a heavy bolt or some similar secure device that can be operated only from the inside?
- Can all of your doors (basement, porch, french, balcony) be securely locked?
- Are your locks all in good repair?
- Are the door strike plates and hinges installed with three-inch screws?
- Do you know everyone who has a key to your house?
- Do all out-swinging doors have the hinges pinned or have non-removable pins?
- Are entry areas unobstructed by shrubbery and other decor to permit maximum visibility?
- Do your exterior lights have a minimum 60-watt bulb?
- Do sliding doors have an auxiliary lock that locks both the door panels together or active-side to the frame?
- Is the garage door secured with a padlock, hasp, or other good auxiliary lock, and can it be locked from both sides?
- Do you lock your garage door when not in use?
- Do you lock your car and take the keys out even when it is parked in your locked garage?
WINDOWS
- Are all windows equipped with auxiliary locks or pinned, and are the locks properly and securely mounted?
- Have you replaced or secured louvered windows?
- Do you keep your windows locked when they are shut?
- Do you use locks that allow you to lock a window that is partly open?
- Do you have garage windows covered on the first floor?
- Do you have secure locks on your garage windows?
- Are you as careful of second floor windows as you are of those on the first floor?
WHEN YOU GO ON A TRIP
- Do you arrange for neighbors or friends to pick up papers, mail, or packages?
- Do you notify a neighbor that you will be gone?
- Without creating too much visibility, do you leave some shades up or curtains open so that the house does not look deserted?
- Do you arrange to keep your lawn maintained?
- Do you have timing devices for your lamps ?
CONGRATULATIONS !!
YOU HAVE JUST TAKEN THE FIRST STEP TO A SAFER HOME.