Home, Safe Home : 51,000 Houses in Los Angeles Were Broken Into Last Year. Here Are Some Security Precautions.

Laura Pallas hadn’t really worried much about her home’s security until the night she heard the rustling outside her house.

Peering out her second-story window, the 29-year-old musician and singing coach saw three teen-agers scrambling over the wall next to her north Inglewood townhome. Then they huddled nervously in the darkness by the side of her house, trying to avoid their unseen pursuers.

Soon, a car pulled up in a neighboring driveway and Pallas heard the unmistakable crackle of a police radio. Only then did she start thinking about making her home more secure--a notion that grew stronger when the cops weren’t able to capture the youths.

“Those three guys are still out there, along with a bunch of other crooks,” Pallas said. “I figured I’d better do something to make sure that I’m not their next victim.”

More than 10 million Americans like Pallas will take steps to improve their home’s security this year, and for good reason: Thieves broke into more than 3 million houses and apartments in 1990, and that figure is expected to be even higher when police tally their final figures for 1991.

Nearly 51,000 homes were ripped off in Los Angeles alone last year, a 15% increase from the year before.

One in 10 Southlanders have had their homes broken into in the past five years, according to a recent Los Angeles Times Poll. And thieves weren’t discriminatory: The survey found that the rich were just as likely to be burgled as the poor.

Half of all gun owners in Southern California say they keep their weapons not for hunting or target shooting, but for protection.

Some homeowners, like Pallas, are simply adding or replacing locks and taking other basic steps to protect their homes from thieves. People handy with a few tools are buying do-it-yourself alarm kits that include sirens for windows or doors.

According to The Times’ Poll, nearly one in five Southern California residents have taken it a step further by installing a home-security system. The systems can cost thousands of dollars and typically include door and window alarms, motion detectors that set off sirens if an intruder sneaks in, and other crime-busting gadgets.

Unfortunately, experts say, there’s no hard-and-fast rule that determines how much security you need.

“There are just too many factors involved to have some kind of ‘security rule-of-thumb,’ ” said Robert A. Bonifas of the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Assn., a trade group that represents 3,000 alarm companies across the nation.

“A lot depends on how much crime you’ve got in your neighborhood and how valuable your possessions are.

“But the bottom line is this: You want to do whatever it takes to make yourself feel secure. If installing a few deadbolts makes you feel safe, then fine. If not, you need to do more.”

The first step toward making your home more secure is to evaluate your current security devices. A good place to start is at your front door, because doors are involved in more than 75% of all burglaries.

“A lot of doors have hollow cores and that makes your house more susceptible to ‘kick-in’ burglars,” said Jean O’Neil of the nonprofit National Crime Prevention Assn. “They either kick the door down, or kick a hole in the door and reach through to unlock it.”

You can usually tell if you’ve got a hollow-core door by knocking on it: If it’s hollow, it’ll make a sort of echoing thump.

Hollow doors should be replaced with ones made of solid wood or metal, O’Neil said.

As an alternative to replacing your door--or for an extra layer of protection--consider replacing screen doors with a metal security door.

Locks are important too.

“A good lock and a strong door jamb is really your first line of defense against crime,” said John Rosenwald, a Los Angeles locksmith.

Security experts say that you should always have at least two locks on each door: Thieves don’t want to pick or break one lock when they know they’ll have to deal with another one.

Double-cylinder deadbolt locks--which require a key on both sides--are generally better than single-cylinder locks that can be opened by hand from the inside.

“If you’ve got a double-cylinder lock on the door, a burglar who breaks in (through a window) will have a lot harder time getting out with all your stuff because he’ll have to fool with the lock to open the door,” said security expert O’Neil.

Unfortunately, double-cylinder deadbolts have their drawbacks. You’ll have to look for your key every time you want to unlock the door from the inside, which is a nuisance when you want to greet someone and downright dangerous if, say, you were trying to escape from a fire.

In fact, the risk that fires present has led some cities--including Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara--to ban double-cylinder locks on homes and apartments with only one exit.

Door jambs are one of the most overlooked security points.

It would take about $15 and 30 minutes of your time to buy and install a metal strike plate over the strike hole in the jamb. The metal strip can help prevent a burglar from using a crowbar to pry his way in.

For even more protection, you can also purchase a variety of easy-to-install door alarms.

A basic kit, which can be purchased at most hardware or electronics stores, costs between $10 and $20. It includes a battery-operated plastic box that you mount to the door and a magnetic strip that you affix to the jamb: A built-in alarm sounds when contact between the box and strip is broken.

More elaborate kits allow you to program your own security code for additional protection.

Put locks on your sliding-glass doors too. Keyed locks that are actually drilled into the door’s runner are better than locks that you can easily slip on and off.

“You can fortify the lock with a wooden dowel, metal rod or even just a broomstick,” said O’Neil.

After you’ve checked out your doors, move on to the windows.

Windows are the second-most popular entry for burglars, although they’re often a thief’s first choice when they’re left open or unlocked. That’s one reason you should keep them closed and locked whenever it’s practical.

“Most burglars won’t break the glass and try to jimmy a lock,” said Kirk MacDowell, president of the Los Angeles County Burglar and Fire Alarm Assn. and owner of a security firm in West Los Angeles.

“Breaking glass makes noise, and the last thing that a burglar wants is to attract attention.”

Special types of keyed locks are made for most types of windows. Sash locks are good for double-hung windows, the type that go up and down; sill-mounted locks are designed for aluminum windows that slide back and forth.

Louver windows present a bit trickier security problem, in part because a burglar standing outside the house can easily lift the glass panels out of their brackets.

Gary Abrams, a Los Angeles general contractor who occasionally writes home-improvement stories for The Times, suggests using epoxy to bond the glass panels to the brackets that hold them.

“The only way the burglar will be able to get through the window is by breaking the glass, and he’s not going to want to do that,” Abrams said.

True, Abrams said, gluing the glass panels to the louver brackets will make the job of replacing a cracked or broken pane more difficult.

“But there’s really no other way to make that kind of window more secure, unless you want to replace it with a different kind or put security bars over it,” he said.

Several types of inexpensive window alarms are also available from most electronics and hardware stores or home-improvement centers.

The basic alarm costs between $10 and $20 and works much like those for doors. A siren sounds when the window is opened and contact between the alarm box and magnetic strip is broken.

Most window and door alarms can also be wired to a siren outside the home, so neighbors will be alerted if someone breaks into your house and you’re not there.

Instead of putting box alarms on every door and window in your house, you might want to consider getting a “motion detector” that can guard an entire room.

Most motion detectors incorporate infrared, microwave or ultrasonic technology. Typically, the movement of an intruder--or merely the heat of his body--breaks a photoelectric beam and triggers the alarm.

“One or two well-placed motion detectors can usually do the work of several individual door and window alarms,” said Bob Miller, a vice president with Radio Shack, the big electronics retailer.

Technological advances have made motion detectors relatively cheap and easy to install: You can usually pick one up for $50 or $100 and set it up in an hour or two.

There are, however, some drawbacks to these sensors. One common problem: Pets who move around in the house or jump up on furniture can trigger the alarm if the photoelectric beam isn’t set high enough to avoid them.

“Of course, you could just keep your cat in the bedroom all day and use a detector to protect the rest of the house,” said security expert MacDowell.

“But if she’s got free rein, you’ll be getting false alarms left and right if the detector isn’t properly set up.”

False alarms won’t just annoy you and your neighbors: They can also be costly. Many cities, including Los Angeles, now charge homeowners after they’ve had more than two or three false alarms.

It’s important to note that do-it-yourselfers can enhance their alarm systems by adding a variety of other gadgets.

For example, it’s fairly easy to hook up an “auto-dialer” to your telephone that will automatically call police, the fire department or anyone else you choose when an alarm is triggered.

The typical dialer is about the size of an answering machine and costs about $100.

You can also add a wall panel or larger “control center” to make the system easier to use, although installation usually requires a knowledge of wiring and the patience to do the job right.

Of course, there’s an easier way to make your home secure: You can simply hire one of the thousands of professional alarm companies to do the work.

A well-designed, professionally installed system can provide you with maximum security and a minimum of headaches caused by false alarms or other problems.

But if you don’t do lots of “comparison shopping” among installers before you agree to buy a professional system, you’ll still run the risk of getting ripped-off--not necessarily by a thief, but by a salesman more interested in securing a commission than protecting your home.

Next: How to get a professionally installed system that’s right for you.