The facts about burglary...

• In many burglaries, no force was used. That means the burglars got in through UNLOCKED doors and windows.
• Most burglaries can be prevented. 

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Home Security

• Properly Lock all Windows and Doors:  Always lock all doors and windows even if you are leaving for just a minute. To prevent residential burglary, ensure all windows are locked when no one is home. Doors should be locked at all times. Consider also locking any side gates that allow entry into a property's backyard. Often, thieves will enter the backyard of a property to try to gain entry into the house. The garage door should also always be closed; the garage door should be latched/locked if the electric operating system does not automatically allow a locked status when the door is closed.  

• Install an Alarm System: Consider installing an alarm system that allow for video monitoring, allow any potential crime to be witnessed and reported in real time.  Remember to get your alarm permit once the system is activated. 

• Install a Camera System: Installing a wide-angle lens viewer in the front door allows you to monitor and capture anyone approaching your house.  You can register your camera with us. 

• Know your Neighbors: Knowing your neighbors and their availability can greatly help to prevent crime in the neighborhood. Start a Neighborhood Crime Watch, and ask for your neighbors help if you are going on vacation or if the house will be vacant for an extended period of time.  Neighbors working together in cooperation with law enforcement make one of the best crime fighting teams around. Start your own Neighborhood Crime Watch now.
  
  Law enforcement officers can’t be everywhere at once, but you and your neighbors can. You’re the ones who really know what’s going on in the neighborhood. Put that neighborhood know–how to work. It’s simple: just use your eyes and ears — then your telephone. If you spot something suspicious, call the police or sheriff immediately.

• Warning Signs: Put alarm permit and video system signs in a clear visible area of the front entrance. Put additional alarm monitoring signs and stickers near all windows and entries to the property. If you have a dog, put "Beware of Dog" signs near all entries to the property.

• Mark Your Property: Engrave or otherwise mark your valuables with the letters “CA,” followed by your Last Name and First Initial of your First Name, and/or your driver's license Number. Burglars don’t want marked merchandise because it is difficult to fence and evidence of guilt if they are caught. Photograph those items that cannot be engraved (jewelry, silverware, antiques).

• Other Tips:
  • Never leave a house key available outside: under a doormat, in a flower pot, or on the ledge of the door. These are the first places a burglar will look. Leave extra keys with a trusted neighbor.
  • Exterior doors should have “dead bolt” locks with a 1-inch strong metal bar extending into the door frame.
  • Sliding doors and windows should all have “ventilation” locks as well as auxiliary locks to bolster security.
  • If you are going out or going on vacation, use timers so that lights, radio, and TV go on and off throughout the house to indicate someone is home.
  • For longer trips, be sure to stop mail and newspaper delivery or have a neighbor collect them daily. In short, make your house look “LIVED IN.”
  • Keep track of your property. For any belongings with a serial number (laptops, televisions, firearms, etc.), keep a list that records which serial number belongs to which item.
  • Don’t open the door to strangers. Talk through closed doors.
  • Have adequate exterior and interior lighting.
  • Use a peephole at the front door.

Remember: Don’t try to stop a criminal yourself — it can be dangerous.

• Remember, if you come home and see a broken window or a jimmied door, don’t go in. Confronting a burglar can be dangerous. Call 911 immediately!