Home Safety

• Have good locks on all doors and windows.
• ALWAYS lock your windows and doors when you are away from your residence. Even if you are just stepping out for a quick errand.  
• Do not hide spare keys on your property.
• Doors should be sturdy.  If they are not, they should be reinforced or replaced with solid core wood or metal doors.
• Every exterior door should be equipped with a dead bolt lock that has a minimum bolt throw of 1 inch.
• Remove the screws in your strike plates and install others that are a minimum of three inches long.
• On sliding glass door walls, use a wooden dowel as a means of bolstering the door lock. Laying the dowel in the track near the bottom of the sliding section will prohibit sliding the door open in the event the door lock is compromised.
• Peepholes-ideally with wide-angle viewing of 180 degrees lenses should be installed in all solid, exterior doors.
• Use timers on lights and stagger the pattern of lighting. Be creative and light different rooms at different times.
• Install exterior lighting and insure it is evenly distributed and does not create deep shadows. Landscaping lights can be functional and decorative, if properly spaced and directed.
• Make sure bushes or trees do not obscure windows or doors. Over grown landscaping can provide excellent coverage for potential burglars.  
• Many burglaries occur through second story windows or patios. Make sure that any trellises or trees do not provide access to upper levels.
• Engrave your property with your driver’s license number.  Take photos or make videos of items, and list descriptions and serial numbers.
• If you find your house has been burglarized, DO NOT enter until the police have secured the premises.