Home Safety and Crime Prevention Tips

Whether you own a home or not, safety and crime prevention are usually at the top of the list when it comes to protecting you and your family. Here are a few ideas that you should find helpful:

•Use double-cylinder dead-bolt locks with at least a one-inch throw on all exterior doors. And, of course, keep your doors locked.

•Secure all windows and sliding glass doors with secondary locking devices.

•Install a peep-hole with a 90-degree viewing area in exterior doors.

•Keep your garage doors closed and locked at all times.

•Install exterior lights (motion detectors are great, too) around your home - especially around doors, walkways and driveways.

•Keep shrubs, hedges and bushes cut down and away from walkways, doors and windows. Don't give the bad guys a place to hide.

•Ensure your house number is easily seen and is well lit at night - for emergency responders.

•Keep your gates to the backyard locked.

•If you keep a spare key hidden outside, don't hide it in an obvious place like under the doormat, on top of the door frame, or in a flower pot. The bad guys check those places first.

•When on vacation, ensure your home continues to look "lived in" by having lights turned on and off (by neighbors or electronic timers), newspapers and mail picked up, and the lawn mowed.

•Don't have the attitude "it won't happen to me". That's usually the attitude most victims had before they "had it happen to them."