Exterior Doors
- Exterior doors should be metal or solid wood
- Use strong door hinges with non-removable or hidden pins
- Entry door should be well-lighted and have a wide angle door viewer so you can see who is outside without opening the door.
- Install Camera doorbell feature
Locks
- Use strong locks
- Always keep doors and windows locked, even if you are home or gone for a short time
- Use quality locks and deadbolts. Look for a deadbolt where the bolt extends at least one inch when in locked position and has hardened steel inserts.
Sliding Glass Doors
- Install keyed locking devices that secure the door to the frame
- Adjust the track clearances on the doors so they cannot be pushed off of their tracks
- Put a piece of wood or a metal bar in the track to prevent the door from being opened.
Windows
- Most standard double-hung windows have thumb-turn locks between the two panels. DON’T rely on these!! An inexpensive way to secure these windows is to drill an angled hole through the top frame of the lower window partially into the frame of the upper window. Then insert a nail or eyebolt. The window cannot be opened until you remove the nail.
Air Conditioners
- Window or air conditioning units should be bolted to the wall to prevent them from being easily removed from the outside.
Report Suspicious Activity!! Examples include
- A stranger entering your neighbor’s house when it is unoccupied
- Offers of merchandise at low prices that may be stolen
- Anyone peering into or removing items from a car
- Persons entering businesses after hours
- The sound of breaking glass if it could be an accident, housebreaking or vandalism