Creating a Safe House : Security Steps Begin at the Front Door
Do you have a deadbolt lock on your front door? A fisheye lens in the door that lets you look outside before opening it? A motion light that comes on when someone approaches your home? These are among the simple steps that you can take to help keep your home secure and uninviting to a potential burglar.
Far short of turning your home into a windowless fortress, there are many prudent security measures you can take. No one thing alone will provide total security, but a variety of devices and precautions used together can make your home a less tempting target.
Do you always lock up? Even if you’re just running out for milk? Consistency in your security measures is part of their strength.
In California, nearly one-third of all burglaries occur when the burglar simply walks through an unlocked door or climbs in an open window. And, most often, the burglar strikes during the day.
It takes only three to five minutes to burglarize a home, and last year in Orange County, a burglary occurred every half an hour.
Cash and jewelry lying around the house are big-ticket items to a crook. Bikes, surfboards and tools are also easy marks for a burglar who has gained access to the garage. Don’t leave valuables in sight when you are away; keep seldom-worn, valuable jewelry in a safe deposit box.
“Unfortunately, we live in a society where you do have to keep the doors closed,” said Lt. Dan Martini of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. “Short of building a fortress, we are not totally secure, but there are measures to mitigate a crime of opportunity.”
Locks, lighting, strategic landscaping and alarms are some methods that work together to deter intruders, but a nosy neighbor can work better still.
An active Neighborhood Watch program is one of the best lines of defense, Martini said.
“Crooks take an opportunity to prey on residential areas that appear unsecure, have little activity and nobody home,” he said. “It’s difficult for a patrol car to be everywhere all the time, so we rely very heavily on neighbors to be the eyes and the ears of the community and report any suspicious behavior.”
The more things you can do to make it look as if you’re home even when you’re not, the better. Burglars prefer to work where they don’t think they will be seen.
Don’t leave “signposts” pointing out your home to the burglar who just happens to be checking out your neighborhood.
One type of signpost: the note on the door that indicates you aren’t home--or tells a burglar even more inviting information, such as how long it will be before you’ll be back.
Do you always turn the lights and drapes a certain way only when you’re gone? It doesn’t take a thief long to figure that out. Do you have a duplicate house key in a hiding place outside? Every place you’ve thought of, the burglar probably has too.
Have you attached a name or license tag to your house keys so they can be returned if you lose them? It’s better not to. If a dishonest person finds your lost keys, it’s much better for you if they don’t know where to find the locks they match.
Do you have a dog that is alert to unusual activity? If possible, give it access to your front and back yards. Most burglars will avoid confronting a dog or risk having barking draw attention their way.
When a repair person you do not know comes to your home, do you ask to see identification through the door viewer? If you have any doubt, telephone their office, getting the phone number from the directory. Don’t leave service or salespeople alone in your home.
Make a family rule of not allowing strangers inside your home. If someone asks to use your phone in an emergency, tell them to wait outside while you call for help on their behalf.
If you hear or see a prowler in or around your home, call 911 immediately. Likewise, if you return home to find a door or window unexpectedly open, go to a nearby home and phone police. A burglar may still be inside.
In addition to being attentive to preventive measures, take a few pragmatic ones too.
* List emergency telephone numbers on each phone.
* Use an electric engraver to inscribe your driver license number preceded by the letters “CA” on furniture, appliances, TVs or other valued items. Do NOT use your Social Security number.
* Photograph small items; videotape large items. Include your driver license with each.
* Inventory your property. Keep a list and photos in a safe deposit box or where burglar would not find them. Update the inventory yearly.
Creating a Safe House
Trees: Prune so low limbs don’t provide second-story access.
Lighting: Light all exterior doorways, yards and windows from dusk to dawn with at least a 60-watt bulb. Use motion-detector lights in any area not covered by another source.
House numbers: Make at least four inches high, on high-contrast background, and illuminate at night. Paint house number on curb, at front of house.
Grilles: Recommended only for particularly vulnerable windows. By state law, bars or grilles must be able to be pushed or kicked out from inside to allow escape in the event of fire. If used in sleeping room, make sure they have an inside mechanism that allows them to swing out in an emergency.
Foliage: Keep doorways, windows and porches clear of shrubs and flowers. Plant thorny shrubs near windows, along fences.
Walks and driveways: Keep clear so no landscaping offers concealment.
Gates and fences: Keep locked to deter break-ins and removal of large items.
Securing The Garage
Garages can provide easy access into a house if there is a connecting interior door. Ensuring garage door security can protect this often overlooked home entryway.
Exterior garage door: Use a padlock made of hardened steel with at least a 9/32nds of an inch stainless steel shackle, heel and toe double-locking mechanism, five-pin tumbler. A key-retaining feature prevents key removal until lock is engaged. For added security when away from home for long period, use padlocks on inside of garage door.
Interior garage door: Use deadbolt lock and secured hinge pins. Door should have solid core.
Garage windows: Keep covered with curtains or blinds.
When You’re Away
Your home will look less vulnerable if it looks as if someone is home.
Doors and windows: Always lock, even if leaving for a short time.
Drapes and shades: During day, leave in position they would be if you were home.
Lighting: Use several 24-hour-cycle automatic timers attached to lamps and appliances inside the home to suggest someone is home at all times.
Alarms: Should have battery backup, fire-sensing capability and horn loud enough to be heard by neighbors. Ask neighbors to call police if they hear alarm. Check with police to see if there are any alarm ordinances in your area.
Deliveries: Do not let mail and newspapers pile up if you are going to be away for any length of time. Put a temporary hold on delivery or ask a trusted neighbor to collect them for you.
Sources: Calfifornia Attorney General’s Crime Prevention Center, California Department of Justice; Researched by CAROLINE LEMKE / Los Angeles Times
Burglary Trends
During the past five years, the number of burglaries and the value of property taken has fluctuated in Orange County. Last year, there was a 20% decline in burglaries and a 10% decline in value of property lost. Most Orange County home burglaries occur during the day, a pattern that has remained unchanged during the past five years:
Value of Year Burglaries property stolen 1989 19,117 $28,848,473 1990 18,170 27,644,331 1991 18,772 32,061,394 1992 18,956 29,190,233 1993 15,540 26,143,161
Sources: California Attorney General’s Crime Prevention Center, California Department of Justice; Researched by CAROLINE LEMKE/Los Angeles Times
HOW TO LOCK UP
Open, unlocked or improperly locked doors and windows virtually invite a burglar into a home. Using the proper locks can help keep trouble away.
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Hinge doors: Deadbolt lock with one-inch throw or vertical drop bolts. If there are no windows in or near door, bolt can be operated from inside by thumb turn. If door has glass panes or if there are windows within 40 inches of lock, use deadbolt that requires key from either side. When you’re at home, leave key in inside cylinder to allow easy exit in emergency. (Note: key-style deadbolts prohibited in some communities)
1. Drill pilot shaft
2. Insert eyebolt
3. Secure both sides
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Double-hung sash windows: Secure windows with sash lock or pin mechanism. If possible, install key-locking sash lock with two-inch wood screws. Windows can also be secured with pin by drilling hole that angles slightly downward through a top corner of bottom window into bottom of top window. Place eye bolt or nail into hole to lock.
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Exterior-hinge door: If possible, have doors with exterior hinges rehung so hinges are inside, where burglar can’t reach them. If doors cannot be rehung, install hinges with non-removable hinge pins or add locking pins to the hinge plates. To install a locking pin, remove center screws from each half of hinge plate and insert a headless screw or bolt in one side, leaving half-inch protruding. In opposite side, drill three-quarter-inch hole so when door is closed, pin will fit inside. Internal pin will hold door in place even if outside pin is removed.
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Sliding glass door: Large-head sheet-metal screws in top middle of frame and at both ends prevent door from being lifted off its track. Adjust screws so door barely clears them when used. Lay wood dowels in bottom track.
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Double doors: Deadbolt lock with at least one-inch throw on active door. Flush bolts installed at top and bottom of inactive door offer better security than half-barrel slide bolt.
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Louvered windows: Because slats can be removed, this is the least secure window type. Replace with another kind or install metal grating and secure with large bolts to prevent bars or grating from being torn from mounts.
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Crank-type casement windows: Make sure locking latch works and crank that moves window has no excessive play. Key-lock handles are available. Remove crank handle if window not normally used.
Sources: California Attorney General’s Crime Prevention Center, California Department of Justice; Researched by CAROLINE LEMKE / Los Angeles Times