How to Prevent a
Home Burglary
Most
burglaries can be prevented.
Always lock your doors
and windows even when leaving for “just a minute.” Never leave a
house key available: under a doormat, in a flowerpot, or on the ledge of
the door. These are the first places a burglar will look.
If
you would like to make life even harder for crooks — remember the
following tips:
-
Exterior
doors should have “dead bolt” locks with a 1inch strong metal
bar extending into the doorframe.
-
Sliding
doors and windows should all have “ventilation” locks as well as
auxiliary locks to bolster security.
-
Be
sure to include good locks for garage, cellar, patio, or other doors
that lead out through storage areas or a spare room.
-
For
more information on locks, contact your local law enforcement agency
or write for the Attorney General's Home Security Handbook.
Going Out?
-
Lock
all doors and windows.
-
Use
timers so that lights, radio, and TV go on and off throughout the
house to indicate someone is home.
-
For
longer trips, be sure to stop mail and newspaper delivery or have a
neighbor collect them daily.
-
In
short, make your house look “LIVED IN.”
Remember, if you come home and see broken window or a jimmied
door, don’t go in. Confronting a burglar can be dangerous. Phone your
local law enforcement agency immediately.
Other Tips
-
Install
a wide-angle lens viewer in the front door. Never open the door
without knowing
who is there.
-
Consider
alarm systems.
-
Whenever
you move to a new home, have the locks changed.
Operation I.D.
Another
deterrent to “would be” burglars is Operation Identification.
-
Mark
your valuables with your driver’s license number preceded by the
letters “CA.” Burglars don’t want marked merchandise because
it is difficult to fence and evidence of guilt if they are caught.
-
Post
Operation I.D. stickers in doors and windows to warn burglars to
stay away.
-
Photograph
those items that cannot be engraved (jewelry, silverware, antiques).
Operation I.D. also facilitates the return of
stolen property when it is recovered.
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