Home Security Tips

General Home Safety & Appearance

  • Are your house numbers visible from the street for emergency service such as police, fire, and ambulance?
  • Does the overall appearance of your home give criminals information about you and your family that would assist them in victimizing you-things such as a full mailbox, outdoor lighting on during the day, or the garage doors open with no cars present?
  • Are all fence gates padlocked to make it more difficult for strangers to enter your yard?
  • Don’t leave notes on your door when you are away from home
  • Don’t leave keys in mailboxes or planters, under doormats, or in other obvious hiding spots. Leave an extra key with a neighbor.
  • Don’t give your name, phone number, or whereabouts on your answering machine message. Never say you aren’t home. Just ask the caller to leave a message.
  • Keep property in good condition and free of trash, litter, weeds, leaves, graffiti, dismantled or inoperative vehicles, and other things that indicate neglect in caring for your property.
  • Never announce your vacation plans or that you are "leaving the house" on Facebook, My Space, Twitter, or other social networking sites.
  • Use timers on lights, radios, TVs, etc. to make them go on and off during the day and night to make your home appear occupied.
  • Stop mail and newspaper delivery if going on vacation, or have neighbor pick up anything left at the home
  • Keep valuables out of the line of sight of a potential burglar

Landscape Appearance

  • Are your shrubs and trees trimmed to "open up the line of sight" of your home for your neighbors from several directions?
  • Are shrubs and trees trimmed to prohibit concealment of an intruder?
  • Is shrubbery trimmed away from the outside of the windows to prohibit concealment of an intruder?
  • Trim bushes to less than 3 feet to eliminate possible hiding places, especially near windows and sidewalks.
  • Trim trees so that limbs don’t provide access to roofs, second stories, etc.
  • Remember that privacy fencing creates hiding places

Outdoor Lighting

  • Do you have only decorative lighting such as used in flower beds?
  • Do you have only entrance / exit lighting such as front/rear door type lights?
  • Do you have true security lighting operated by an electric eye or timer, every night, all night, giving your home a perimeter of light around it?
  • Leave outside lights on after dark or have outside lights controlled by a motion detector. Make sure there are no dark areas around the house, garage, or yard in which a person could hide. Street lights are generally inadequate for illuminating your property
  • Check lights regularly and replace burnt out bulbs

External Doors

  • Are all external doors either metal, solid wood, solid wood frame, or at least solid core construction?
  • Are door frames strong and tight enough to withstand some degree of force?
  • Are doors with outside exposed hinges pinned to prevent easy removal from outside?
  • Are all external doors equipped with "good" dead bolt locks which have at least a one-inch throw?
  • Are the strike plates installed with three-to-four inch screws which are anchored well into the two-by-four inch stud behind the door frame?
  • Are glass sliding doors pinned to prevent being forced open? Is the upper track secured with large pan head screws to prevent lifting?
  • Are French or double doors fitted with flush bolts at the top and bottom edge of the inactive or secondary door?
  • Is there a door leading from the garage to the interior of the home, and if so, is it equally secure as an external door?
  • Don’t rely on chain locks for security. They’re only good for privacy.
  • Re-key or change all locks when moving into a new home
  • Reinforce the glass in windows on the lock sides of doors so a burglar cannot break them and reach in to open the door
  • Keep all doors and windows locked, even if you are just going out “for a minute:
  • Don’t leave your home keys on a chain with your vehicle keys when you use valet parking. Also, don’t leave your garage door opener where it is easily accessible.

Windows

  • Are wooden windows "pinned" on both sides, from the inside?
  • Are aluminum windows fitted with secondary locking devices, easily removed, in case of fire?
  • Is shrubbery trimmed away from the outside of the windows to prohibit concealment of an intruder?
  • Keep all doors and windows locked, even if you are just going out “for a minute.” If a window is left open a few inches for ventilation, pins or dowels should be inserted in the tracks to prevent someone from opening it more.
  • Replace broken windows or screens

Garage Doors

  • Are overhead garage doors fitted with an interior locking device, blocking the track, as well as an outside locking device?
  • Do windows in the garage door prohibit viewing the interior of the garage from the outside by use of curtains or film?
  • Is the garage door kept down and locked at all times?
  • Don’t leave your home keys on a chain with your vehicle keys when you use valet parking. Also, don’t leave your garage door opener where it is easily accessible.

Alarm Disclaimer

Although an alarm is a very good deterrent to a thief, it is not guaranteed protection. It is important that the above suggestions are followed even if you have a security alarm. Always be sure to arm your alarm no matter how long or how short of an amount of time you will be gone.

Theft In Process

Never attempt to stop a thief. If you witness what you believe to be a breaking and entering in process into a house or a vehicle, never confront the person or attempt to stop them. Chances are if they are willing to burglarize a home or vehicle, there is a good chance they are willing to cause bodily harm to you. Call 911 immediately to report any suspicious activity.

Information

Information compiled from the suggestions of this department, Olympia, Washington Police Department, Fort Worth, Texas Police Department, and San Diego, California Police Department.