Police Suggestions for Improving Property Safety and Security

Doors and Windows

• Keep your doors locked when at home.             
• Lock doors and windows and check them each night before going to bed.
• Check your doors and windows after workers leave your house. Sometimes workers intentionally leave windows open. Sometimes the owner forgets.

Lighting

• Keep lights on at night.
• Leave on lights around your home at night to discourage crime
• Leave lights on when not at home.
• Ensure your outdoor lighting is sufficient and decide where lighting would be most beneficial. Consider installing motion detector lighting

 

• Project the impression that your house is occupied. Leave on radio or TV. Use light timers. Leave car in the driveway.

• Close blinds so that people can not easily see through first floor windows. This will prevent a casual assessment of the house contents and the floor plan.

• Let neighbors know if your house will be empty for an extended time (e.g. a weekend). Let them know of any arrangements you have made for occupation of your house during your absence.

• Make sure newspapers and mail are collected for you and /or delivery is stopped during your absence.

• House address numbers should be 4 to 6 inches high and easily visible from the street. This includes being adequately illuminated.

• Your house should be easily visible to your neighbors.

• Clear debris from your yard which could be used to force entry, bricks, hoses, ladders etc.

• List serial numbers or compile any other identification, including photographs, of valuable belongings. This not only helps the police to return these items to you, it also helps in the identification of the thieves and constitutes evidence leading to their arrest.

• Have a plan for your modus operandi if confronted by an intruder.