A
significant number of residential burglaries in Yuma County are
the result of burglars entering homes through a door or window
that was left unlocked while the residents were away.
Residential burglary often occurs during the day while you are
away at work or when you are away from home for an extended
period of time. Burglars run the risk of drawing attention to
themselves if they need to spend too much time or make too much
noise breaking into your home. Therefore, they will often seek
out the “path of least resistance” in a neighborhood when
looking for a home to victimize. By making your home more
difficult to enter or less attractive to a burglar, you can
minimize the risk of being victimized.
In most
cases, the precautions you can take to secure your home are
simple and inexpensive.
LOCK IT UP!
Make it
a habit to lock your doors and windows when you are leaving
your home.
Secure
doors and windows, even when leaving the home for short
periods of time.
Don’t
leave property such as bicycles left unsecured in the front
yard.
DOORS & WINDOWS
Note: As
with all exterior door and window locks, you should always be
familiar with escape methods in the event you need to exit the
home in an emergency!
External
doors should be made of solid wood or metal. Wooden doors
with a hallow core are easily broken into and should only be
used within the interior of the home. A metal door with
hollow core is okay.
External
doors should be installed with a dead-bolt lock mechanism.
A key lock in the door knob is not sufficient and can easily
be defeated.
The
screws that hold the strike plate onto the door frame should
bore into the wood stud located beyond the door framing.
Usually, a 2” wood screw is sufficient.
All
exterior doors should be installed to fit snug in the door
frame.
Many
sliding glass doors and windows can be lifted out of their
tracks from the outside the house. This can be prevented by
installing a “pin” lock. Pin locks are installed by
drilling a hole through the sliding door or window frame and
into the fixed frame. The pin is then inserted preventing
up and down or side to side movement. Pin locks are very
inexpensive and are available in most hardware stores.
Many
people place wooden dowels into the bottom of the window or
sliding door track. This is effective is preventing side to
side movement.
A
peep-hole or wide angle viewer is recommended for the front
door of your home.
LANDSCAPE AND LIGHTING
Keeping
your yard clean and well maintained can deter burglars. By
keeping your property looking good, you send a message that
you care about your belongings and have taken precautions to
secure them.
Shrubbery around the home should be kept trimmed around
windows and doors. Overgrown shrubs provide hiding spots
for burglars while they make entry into your home.
At
night, motion sensing lights are effective in warding off
burglars and prowlers.
ADDITIONAL HELPFUL TIPS
While away
from home for extended periods, guard against making it obvious
you are away. Have a trusted neighbor collect mail or
newspapers that may stack up.
A porch
light left on day and night is another signal that you are
away.
Garbage
cans left at the curb for extended periods are another tip
off to thieves.
Be
careful about who you inform of your travel plans.
A
trusted neighbor to keep an eye out for your home is your
best defense against burglary while you are away. NEIGHBORS
SHOULD BE ASKED TO ALERT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OF ANY
SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY.
OPERATION IDENTIFICATION
You
should always have a record of the valuables within you
home.
Property
should be marked for identification. This allows the
property owner to provide specific information to law
enforcement in the event of a loss. This also allows for
quick identification if the property is recovered.
You can
purchase property engraving tools at any hardware store.
