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Exterior doors that have glass within reach of a door lock
should have the glass replaced with a solid material.
Otherwise, a burglar can break the glass and then reach inside
to open the door from the inside. A double key lock (inside
and outside) will create a dangerous condition in the event of
a fire. |
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Place wooden dowels, pipes, or other substitutes in the
tracks of all sliding glass doors and windows so as to limit
movement. This will make it more difficult for a burglar to
tilt the doors or windows and enter your home or place of
business. |
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Place highly visible decals near all likely points of
entry to inform would - be burglars that the property is
protected by a burglar alarm system. |
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Place a highly visible security alarm sign in the front of
your home or business to inform would - be criminals that the
property is protected by a security alarm system. Consider
placing a security alarm sign in the back yard as an added
deterrent. |
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Realize that experienced burglars understand that the
pedestrian door to the garage is often not highly secured and
provides good cover for an entry. Consequently, it is a likely
point of entry and must be secured appropriately. |
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Consider installing a Safe Room or Panic Room. |
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Always install peepholes in exterior doors so that the
doors do not have to be opened in order to identify who is at
the door. Never place complete reliance on a door chain as
they are often easy to break. |
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Establish a Neighborhood Watch for your community. Place
appropriate signs to inform would - be burglars that your
neighbors are looking out for each other. |
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Always arrange to have newspapers and mail removed when
you will not be home. Burglars often select homes where there
is an accumulation of newspapers and / or mail. |
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Make certain that the door hinges on all exterior doors
are on the inside, not on the outside. If the hinges are on
the outside, the door can easily be removed. |
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Never leave notes for family members or service providers
on your front door or other visible location. Burglars will
know you are not home. |
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Instead of placing an extra entry key under a door mat, on
a ledge, under a rock, or other common location, consider
wrapping a key in aluminum foil and then burying it where the
gardener will not discover it. |
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If someone comes to your front door asking to use the
phone to call the police or anyone else, keep the door locked
and make the call yourself. |
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For exterior doors, always use solid core or metal doors
with heavy - duty deadbolt locks, with one - inch bolts. |
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When you are not home, make your home appear lived in by
installing a series of timers that will automatically turn on
and off lights and other electronic equipment such as
televisions. |
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When hiring domestic help through an agency, you should insist that the agency complete a criminal background check and provide you with fingerprints of your prospective employee.
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Create the impression that someone is home by parking a vehicle on the driveway when you are not at home. |
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Drill holes and insert locking pins in window and sliding glass door frames to prevent a burglar from sliding windows and doors open from the exterior. |
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Never leave your garage door open when you leave your home. Garages generally make good hiding places for criminals. |
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When you return home, have your keys prepared for immediate entry. |
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When you are away from home, consider making your home look occupied by leaving a pair of large dirty work boots near the front door visible from the street. |
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When you are going to be away from home for a long period of time, adjust your telephone ring to its lowest volume. An unanswered phone is a clear signal that your home is empty. |
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Cover or frost any garage door windows so that burglars will not be able to easily determine if your car is away from home. |
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Never record a message on your home telephone answering machine indicating where you are or when you expect to return. Don't make it easy on a burglar. |
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Professional burglars often monthly check local newspapers for wedding and funeral announcements in order to determine which homes will be vacant. Consider taking extra precautionary steps if you or your family makes such an announcement. |
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Keep ladders and tools out of view so that burglars cannot use them to make easier entry. |
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If you are moving into a home with an old security alarm system, obtain a free security analysis from
CoastSecurityServices.com in order to determine if an upgrade is needed and how much money we can save you on monthly monitoring services.
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Consider the installation of security lighting at your home or business that is activated by motion detectors. |
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Make sure that your street address is highly visible so that law enforcement personnel can easily identify your home if they are required to respond. |
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