Partners Against Crime

How to protect your family and home from a burglar

Ensure your family’s safety with these helpful tips:

• Check doors at night and lock all windows.
• Get a barking dog or “beware of dog” signs. If you own a dog and go out of town, have a friend you trust come in to care for your dog in your home.
• Plant thorny bushes under all windows. Trim back any trees or shrubs near door and windows to eliminate hiding places for thieves.
• Don’t hide a spare key under the door mat or under a flower pot.
• Use a timer set to turn interior lights on and off at varying intervals as though your home is still occupied when you aren’t home.
• Keep large amounts of cash or valuable jewelry in a safe deposit box.
• Lock the door and take the key with you, even if you are just stepping next door or out mowing the backyard.
• Keep any tools that could be used to break into your house, like a ladder, safely locked away in a garage or shed.
• If someone comes to your door asking to use the telephone, make the call yourself. Don’t invite them in.
• Protect lights to prevent breakage or tampering.
• Install adequate locks and frames on all ground-level windows.
• Have the serial numbers available of all valuable items.
• Light up your neighborhood. Leave outdoor lights on all night, at both the front and rear of your home. Encourage your neighbors to do the same — it serves as a deterrent.
• Put your purse, wallet, money and other valuables out of plain sight.
• Remember, burglary is not a sophisticated crime; it’s a crime of opportunity. Burglars don’t choose victims, they choose opportunities!