Your Home: As Safe as You Think?

Traditionally, most of us have regarded our home as a place safe from intrusions of crime in the streets. If you are locked out of your house, would you still be able to get in? Maybe you keep an unlocked window in the back, or a hidden key in your mailbox or on top of a window ledge? You may think this is a good idea, but guess what? If you can break in, so can a burglar.

One out of ten homes will be burglarized this year. For a small amount of time and money, you can make your home more secure and reduce your chances of being a victim.


What You Can Do

Check the Locks

In almost half of all completed residential burglaries, thieves simply breezed in through unlocked doors or crawled through unlocked windows.

  1. Make sure every external door has a sturdy, well-installed deadbolt lock. Key-in-the-knob locks are not enough.

Check the Doors

A lock on a flimsy door is about as effective as locking your car door, but leaving the window down.

  1. All outside doors should be metal or solid wood.

Check the Outside


  1. Thieves hate bright lights. Install outside lights and keep them on at night.
  3. Clearly display your house number so police and other emergency vehicles can find your home quickly.
  4. If you travel, create the illusion that you’re at home by getting some timers that will turn on and off in different areas of your house throughout the evening. Lights burning 24 hours a day signal an empty house.
  5. Leave shades, blinds, and curtains in normal positions and don’t let your mail pile up. Call the post office to stop delivery or have a neighbor pick it up.
  6. Make a list of your valuables: DVD players, VCRs, stereos, computers, jewelry. Take photos of the items, list their serial numbers and descriptions.

Consider an Alarm


  2. Learn how to use your system properly! Don’t set off false alarms.

There's More You Can Do

  1. Join a neighborhood watch group.
  2. Never leave a message on your answering machine that indicates you may be away from home.
  3. Work with neighborhoods and local government to organize community clean-ups. The cleaner your neighborhood, the less attractive it is to crime.