Home Safety Tips

Entryways

  • Do front, rear and side doors have 180º peepholes, voice intercom devices, or windows to see through?
  • Have locks been re-keyed since you moved in?
  • Are locks that can be opened from inside at least 40 inches from glass?
  • Are entrance doors solid core?
  • Do entrance doors have deadbolt locks?
  • If hinge pins are outside, are they removable?
  • Do doors securely fit doorjambs?
  • Are doorjambs tightly fastened?
  • Do dead bolt plates have the proper strike plate? (Are they screwed 3” into the frame?)
  • Is strike plate securely fastened to doorjamb?
  • Is doorjamb constructed adequately? (Solid wood, any previous damage?)
  • Does bolt extend sufficiently into strike plate?
  • Are door locks in good repair?
  • Do screen/storm doors have adequate locks?
  • Is “Charley-Bar” or key-operated auxiliary lock used on sliding glass door?
  • Can the lock mechanism be reached through a mail slot, delivery port, or pet entrance at doorway?
  • Is there an outside door into the basement?
  • If so, is this door adequately secured as an exterior door?

Ground Floor Windows

  • Do all windows have adequate locks in operating condition?
  • Have double hung windows been pinned?
  • Can windows left open for ventilation be secured?
  • Do curtains/drapes fully cover windows?
  • Is window air conditioner secured from inside?
  • Do windows have screen/storms that lock from inside?
  • Do any windows open onto areas that may be hazardous or offer special risk to burglary?
  • Are exterior areas of windows free from concealing structures/landscaping?

Upper Floor Windows

  • Do any upper floor windows/doors open onto porch or garage roofs or roofs of adjoining buildings?
  • If so, are they secured as adequately as if they were at ground level?

Basement

  • Does basement door to living quarters have an adequate lock operated from the living quarters side?
  • Are all basement windows adequately secured against entrance?

Exterior

  • Do you belong to a neighborhood watch program?
  • re shrubs cut below window level?
  • Are tree limbs cut above window level?
  • Does porch/landscaping offer concealment from view from street or public areas?
  • Is exterior phone line tamper-resistant?
  • Are basement windows concealed by shrubbery?
  • Are house numbers visible and contrasting from the street?
  • Can mailbox be locked?
  • Are bicycles, mowers, and ladders kept inside?

Exterior Lighting

  • Is front door well lit?
  • Is side door well lit?
  • Is rear door well lit?
  • Are other entrances well lit?
  • Are there other exterior lights? (e.g. motion detector lights?)

Alarms

  • Do you have an alarm system?
  • If monitored, does your alarm co. have an up-to-date emergency contact list?
  • If not, is there a neighbor who knows how to reach you in an emergency?

Garage

  • Does overhead door close tightly?
  • Does overhead door have a track padlock?
  • Do you keep overhead door closed and locked when not in use?
  • Do you remove keys when vehicle is in garage?
  • Can garage light be turned on from inside home?
  • Are garage windows secured for ground floor windows? 

 

 

SEE ALSO

Crime Prevention