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Crime Prevention-Tips
House Numbers
House numbers on our homes are important. They can save police officers,
firefighters and paramedic’s valuable time. House numbers are
especially important if you live where there is an alley. Police
officers and firefighters will often respond in the alley, as access
is sometimes better.
Landscaping
Fences: Privacy vs. chain link. Burglars prey on privacy. Fences
that allow activity to be seen in your yard are preferable to “privacy” fences.
Trees and shrubbery: Should be trimmed 6 inches below windows
and at least 3 feet away from doors. Shrubbery such as rose bushes
or other thorny varieties serve as a good deterrent to window peepers.
Landscape rock: Large landscape rock (golf ball size or larger)
can be used to damage your property. Small landscape rock (smaller than
golf ball size) is both decorative and, if someone walks on them, will
be easily heard.
Locks / Strike Plates
Deadbolt locks: The deadbolt lock has a bolt that must be
activated by a key or thumb turn. It offers good security because it
is not spring activated and cannot be opened with a credit card.
A single
cylinder deadbolt is activated with a key on the exterior side of the
door and a thumb turn piece on the interior side. Install this lock where
there is no breakable glass within 40 inches of the thumb turn piece.
(Otherwise a burglar can break the glass, reach inside and turn the thumb
piece.)
A double cylinder deadbolt is key activated on both
sides on the door. It should be installed where there is glass within
40-inches of the lock. Double cylinder deadbolt locks can hinder
escape from a burning home so always leave a key in or near the lock
when someone is home.
Both single and double cylinder deadbolt locks should
meet these criteria to be a good security device:
The bolt must extend a minimum of 1 inch and be made
of case hardened steel.
The cylinder guard must be tapered, round and free
spinning to make it difficult to grip with pliers or a wrench. It must
be solid metal – not
hollow casting or stamped metal.
There should be at least a five pin tumbler system
or equivalent locking device.
The connecting screws that hold the lock together must
be on the inside and made of case hardened steel. No exposed screw heads
should be on the outside.
The connecting screws must be at least one-fourth
inch in diameter and go into solid metal stock, not screw posts. A
heavy duty strike plate helps strengthen door frames better than a
regular strike plate. (A strike plate is the jamb fastening that receives
the deadbolt in the locking position.) The heavy duty plate uses four
to six, three inch screws, not two, three-fourth inch screws used in
regular plates. The longer screws go through the frame into the jamb
making it harder for someone to split the frame when kicking the door.
A heavy duty strike plate will strengthen the door jamb and reinforce
the lock.
Window Locks
Auxiliary locks: Pin your windows or add an auxiliary lock to
your double hung windows. This type of mechanism will allow you to secure
your window when you open it (5 inches or less) for ventilation. Newer
windows have higher quality locks while older double hung windows are
easily jimmied or pried open. Double hung windows can be secured by taking
these simple, inexpensive precautions:
Drill a hole at a downward angle through the first
sash and into, but not through, the second sash. Then pin window by
driving a nail into the hole. Pinning braces the window against prying.
More holes can be drilled to pin the window open for ventilation.
Keyed locks
offering effective protection are available for windows. These inexpensive,
easy to-install locks should replace thumb turn locks that offer
little security. Master key all window locks and show children how
to use them. Do not use keyed locks on windows in sleeping areas.
Lighting
Motion detector lights are very effective in deterring crime. They also
light up your driveway or entry doors when you are leaving or coming
home.
Dusk to dawn lighting is a strong deterrent against
criminal activity, and it constantly lights up your entry doors and possible
obstacles that would otherwise be unseen.
Landscape lighting is low voltage lighting that can
highlight your property line, light up your sidewalk and also light up
the exterior of your windows – making
your home a less attractive target to night time burglars.
Interior lighting using light timers makes a home look
occupied. Good lights to leave on are bedroom and/or bathroom lights.
Radios and televisions are also good items to have on
timers. If a radio playing a talk station is heard from the outside of
a home, it gives the appearance that a conversation is being carried
on and someone is home. The perception of someone being home greatly
reduces the possibility of a burglary.
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