Home Security Checklist

The Crofton Police Department wants to keep our city safe and secure for all those who work and live in our communities. If we work together, we can achieve this goal.

As a service, the Department is providing you with this two-sided “Home Security Check List.” If actively followed, it should serve as an effective crime deterrent because the list will help identify areas of your residence where security needs improvement. Using the list as an initial guideline, it can also assist you in determining other areas of your home that may warrant further security considerations. If you would like to schedule a free, personal home security survey conducted by one of our officers, please call us at 410-721-2301 or 301-261-6021.

The members of the Crofton Police Department thank you for your support in keeping Crofton a great place to live and work.

William H Booth

Chief of Police

Answer these questions about your home:

Yes	No	Doors
		Are all your locks in good working order?
		Do exterior doors have a wide-angle viewer?
		Do you keep your garage door locked?
		Are all exterior doors of solid core or metal construction?
		Do all exterior doors have cylinder-type deadbolt locks, heavy-duty bolts, or other secure device that can be operated from the inside only?
		Are all door strike plates and hinges installed with three-inch screws?
		Do all doors that swing out have non-removable pins?
		Are all doorframes of sturdy construction?
Yes	No	Home’s Exterior
		Are lights installed around the outside of your house?
		Do your exterior lights have bright bulbs?
		Are your trees, shrubs and or bushes trimmed so entry areas are not obstructed and don’t allow hiding places?
		Do you leave lights on at the exterior entrances at night?
		Is your house number clearly visible from the street day or night?
		Are your ladders securely locked away to prevent second floor access?
Yes	No	Home’s Windows
		Do you keep windows locked or pinned whenever you shut them or open them slightly for ventilation?
		Do you have locks that allow you to lock a window that is partially open?
		Do you have garage windows covered?
		Are garage window’s locks secured?
		Do you make sure second floor windows are as secure as first floor?
		Are all windows equipped with auxiliary locks or pinned, and are the locks properly and securely mounted?
Yes	No	Your Safety Habits
		Is there a neighborhood watch in your community?
		If there is a neighborhood watch do you participate?
		Do you keep a list of your valuable property to include serial numbers?
		Do you engrave or mark your valuable property with a personal identifier?
		Do you have photos and/or videotapes of your home and property?
		Do you keep excess cash and valuables in a bank?
		Does your family know what to do if someone tries to break into your home, or if they come home and find a burglar?
		Do your children know how to properly use 9-1-1?
		Do you keep your doors locked at all times?
		Do you always lock your car and take the key out?
		Do you always shut your car off and take the keys out if you will be leaving it, even if others are in the car?
Yes	No	Vacations
		Do you arrange to have your mail and newspapers stopped or picked up by a friend or neighbor while you are gone?
		Do you make arrangements to have your lawn mowed/ snow shoveled?
		Do you notify a neighbor that you will be gone, and how to reach you or a responsible person in an emergency?
		Do you put lamps on timers?

Your home is secure, right?

According to the FBI, a burglary occurs somewhere in the United States every 15.4 seconds

12 Tips to Protect Your Home

1. Make home security like an onion, not an egg. One layer of security is a minor inconvenience for the home burglar. Incorporating multiple layers of security into one’s home is essential. Not only will a multi-layered approach slow down or deter a burglar, but it will also give you and/or your neighbors more time to react in an appropriate manner.

2. If you have locks, use them. Many burglars will watch a target for hours or even days to gain knowledge of the occupant. Keep windows and doors locked at all times. This will help to prevent an intruder from gaining access to your residence whether you are home or not. Even if stepping out to the store only for a few minutes, lock the doors.

3. All exterior doors should be equipped with a deadbolt. While knob locks are better than nothing, they are fragile and easily bypassed. An experienced burglar will have no trouble tripping these locks with such tools as credit cards or pin knives. While deadbolts do not offer guaranteed protection, they are quite a bit stronger and offer a higher degree of protection, especially when coupled with a knob lock. Put the factory screws for the strike plates aside and use three inch screws. These screws will tap into the framing around the door making it even more secure. Be careful not to over-tighten these screws, as they will collapse the door jamb.

4. Harden inside garage doors. Garage doors leading from your garage into your house are just as important as exterior doors. Many times a garage is the easiest way for a burglar to gain access to a house simply because they are less secure. For this reason, the door leading to your home from your garage must be your second line of defense against intruders choosing this path. Many times these doors are lightweight and hollow, allowing for easy access. Install a solid core door with a deadbolt.

5. Consider the placement of new and existing locks. Locks should be installed where they are inaccessible to a potential intruder. This is especially true for doors containing glass and windows. A simple tap with a hammer or a crow bar can break that glass and render your lock ineffective, as the intruder can simply reach in and disable it. For these types of doors, and all windows place the lock in a place inaccessible from the window, if possible, or install a lock that requires a key to be unlocked from the inside. Install a peephole instead of a chain lock, which are inherently weak.

6. Make access to windows difficult. On the outside of your house, plant thorny, dense vegetation to discourage intruders from attempting to enter. Also, make sure any ladders capable of serving as a bridge over these plants or a path to a second story window are secure. On the inside of your house, place obstacles like furniture in front of your windows. You can also place track locks, or wooden dowels in the window tracks to prevent the windows from being opened. A safety coating can also be applied to the inside of windows to make them very difficult to break.

7. Secure all sliding doors. Sliding doors enhance your residence’s appeal as a target because these doors are notoriously insecure. There are various ways to secure sliding doors including “Charlie bars,” track locks, and a simple dowel. The most inexpensive method is to cut a dowel of at least ¼” diameter to within ¼” of the length of the bare track when the door is closed. When the door is not in use, lay the dowel in the track and it will prevent the door from being opened.

8. Hang drapes for style and prevention. If you already have thick drapes, use them. If you don’t have thick drapes, consider them. Thick drapes prevent a potential intruder from seeing into your home. If an intruder cannot see into your home and view your valuables, they have a limited idea of your possessions. They can only see what you want them to see. Heavy drapes effectively remove temptation.

9. Protect your valuables, even inside your home. Purchase a safe and install it in your home. If you do not install the safe, a burglar can simply carry it away. It is important to keep all paperwork vital to your identity in a safe that is both tamper and fireproof. Also, etch your name on all valuable items in your home, then record the serial number and a brief description of the items and place these documents in a safe place. Seeing a name engraved on an item will act as a deterrent to the burglar; it will be harder to sell and traceable. If possible, take pictures or a videotape of your valuables to aide Law Enforcement in identification.

10. Strategic Lighting. If you have lights around your home, use them. Place lights around your home in any dark areas. These lights should have motion sensors on them to alert you that someone is out there, and so the potential burglar knows that he/she is being watched. Motion sensors are also a good tool to conserve energy and therefore, pay for themselves quickly. Lighting acts as a deterrent to potential burglars because just like any other criminal, they don’t want to be seen.

11. Know your neighbors. Neighbors can be a vital tool in protecting your home. If you develop a good rapport with your neighbors, they are more likely to be concerned about you and your property. Offer to do favors for one another and look after each other’s houses while the other is away. Keep your neighbors informed about your routine and who is supposed to be at your house, as well as who is not. If possible, develop a neighborhood watch program within your community. If a neighborhood watch is not possible, then make an agreement with your surrounding neighbors to look after each other’s homes.

12. If possible, install a home security system. Home security systems vary in price and intensity. There are many low cost, yet effective, wireless security systems that are easy to install available for under $200. Most of these systems are noninvasive, as they require no wiring, and are easily expandable. If you do invest in a home security system, be sure to use it and keep it in good order to prevent false alarms. A faulty alarm does no good.

For Further Information:

http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/homesecurity.html

http://www.crimedoctor.com/home.htm

http://www.memphispolice.org/Burglary%20Prevention%20Tips.htm

http://www.sao.co.st-clair.il.us/burgtip.asp

http://phoenix.gov/POLICE/burgti1.html

Watch “It Takes a Thief” which airs on the Discovery Channel, weekdays at 5pm

Sources

MacYoung, Marc, and Dianna Gordon. http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/homesecurity.html. 03/09/07.

McGoey, Chris E, CPP, CSP, CAM . http://www.crimedoctor.com/home.htm. 03/09/07.