Tips on improving home security

Household burglary is one of the easiest crimes to commit, but fortunately it’s also easy to prevent. Here are some tips for you to help protect your home and property.

You all know about locking doors and windows. It is best to do so even when you’re home. If you are out in the front yard working — lock the back door. If in back, lock the front.

Well-lighted porches, hallways and corridors deter burglars. When you are away at night, use timers on interior lights. Leave TV (better than radio) playing. A burglar, looking for an easy mark, is not likely to stand around and knock on door to determine if you are home.

Here is a tip you may not have thought of — remove names from door and mailboxes; use numbers only. Burglars can use your name to get a telephone number and call to see if you’re gone.

Keep valuables away from windows where they can be seen. TVs, VCRs and stereo sets invite burglars.

It seems so convenient to hide a key under the doormat or in the mailbox. It’s a “no-no!” Police report that confessing burglars agree it is the first place they look. Trust a neighbor or friend with the key.

And add to this — never leave notes on doors explaining an absence. It is a nice, written invitation to the burglar.

Keep shrubbery well trimmed — no higher than halfway up to the lowest window ledge, if possible. This will not offer a hiding place for the burglar entering a window. He is looking for protection from view when doing his crime.

Don’t carry identification tags on your keys, police warn. You know where you live. Lost keys may give a burglar or vandal easy entrance to your home. Valuables in your residence should be marked with a permanent identification number, preferably your license number — never your Social Security number. Checkbook, credit cards and other important documents should be kept in a locked drawer, never on a desk or table top just for your convenience. It may wind up convenient for a thief as well. Identity theft artists go wild with a valid checking account number, and celebrate a long time with your credit card — all at your expense.

Mail can overflow its box, and papers pile up on the porch. This is a sure indication the house is unoccupied. Have your mail held and have a friend or neighbor remove papers from the doorway. You can return the favor when he/she leaves. Actually, one of the best defenses against a break-in is an observant neighbor, one who will observe anything that looks suspicious and report to the police. Things like parked vehicles with someone sitting in them; abandoned cars; property being removed; solicitors loitering; a person running. Believe it or not, intuition can and does play a part — trust it. If you get a funny feeling that “something’s not quite right,” it probably isn’t.

Finally, take the time to seek out and join or organize a Neighborhood Watch group. It is neighbors watching out for neighbors and reporting any criminal activity. Areas with active Neighborhood Watches have reported dramatic reductions in crime and the fear of crime. You become the eyes and ears of the police. There are no fees, and not a lot of meetings. Cooperating with the police and with each other can help fight crime in a community in the most effective way.