Preventing Residential Burglaries
• Keep your home well-lit using dusk to dawn, motion-detecting, and timed interior lighting.
• Keep your overhead garage door closed and garage service doors locked.
• Never put up notes on your door or on social media letting people know that you are away or on vacation.
• Never hide spare keys under a mat, or in a fake rock. Burglars will look.
• If you are going to be on vacation, stop your mail/newspaper
. Have a neighbor park in your driveway. Notify the police department for checks.
• Keep your bushes trimmed down below the window line to help prevent hiding places. In addition, trim back front yard trees so that they do not obscure the front of your residence from the street.
• Investigate the cost of an alarm system from a reputable company that has good references (from friends, family members, or trusted neighbors). If a system is installed, post signage or window stickers letting potential burglars know that an alarm has been activated.
• Report suspicious individuals in your neighborhood immediately to the police department. Remember, if something doesn’t look or feel right, it probably isn’t. Always report things right away.