Home Security

Home safety and security is fundamental to our sense of well-being; as each of us works to make our own dwelling secure, we add to the safety and security of our neighborhoods.  For the best results, make sure to keep the outside of your home safe and secure as well as the interior of your home.  The following tips will help you achieve a safer home and safer neighborhood:

• Have good locks for doors and windows; keep doors and windows locked when away from home
• Make sure that basement, ground-level, and second-floor windows are securely locked when away from home
• While at home, know which windows have been opened by family members/roommates
• Secure double-hung windows with pins
• Keep garage doors closed and locked at all times--minimize the time a garage door is up/open
• Ensure that all exterior doors have a minimum one-inch throw
• Ensure that all exterior doors are sturdy and strong enough to withstand excessive force
• Ensure that entry doors are well-lit at night and free of clutter/obstruction
• Establish the habit of carrying your house keys with you--even if you're only in the yard/garden for a few minutes
• Answer your door by speaking through it, or an adjacent window, before opening your door to a stranger
• Always make sure you see the person(s) to whom you will open your door
• Install a wide-angle peep hole on each door not adjacent to a window
• Install motion-detection or photocell lights for the main, rear, and side entrances of your home, if possible
  
• Make sure that your home's street number is visible from the street, day and night
• Trim bushes, hedges, trees, etc. that may block clear views of entryways and windows or be used as hiding places
• Trim vegetation--bushes, trees, etc.--for visibility from two feet from the ground to  6 feet above ground
• Maintain lawns and yards--overgrown vegetation may signal to thieves that a place is vacant or sporadically occupied
• Maintain good outdoor lighting--especially for homes with big yards, tall hedges, etc.
  
• Use timers on radios or lights to give the impression that someone is at home, on the premises
• Draw blinds and curtains when away from home to discourage anyone from seeing inside your home
• Never leave notes on a door announcing that you are not at home
• Never create answering machine greetings that state you are or will be away from your home
• Never create answering machine greetings that indicate you are a single woman, disabled, a senior citizen, etc. 
• Never leave house keys under a doormat
• Install both smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every level of your home; test twice yearly

For added protection, keep your car keys within easy reach--if your car has an electronic door lock and you use a remote door opener, you can hit the panic button in the middle of the night to frighten off intruders or sound an alert for your neighbors (share this alarm communication method with your neighbors before you do so for the first time).