Remember to lock all doors and windows when you leave the home.
Keep all valuable items out of sight.
Install proper lighting around your home to keep it well lit at night.
Motion lights, flood lights, and similar lighting can be used to brighten the property.
Start a Neighborhood Watch Program and report any suspicious person and/or activity in your neighborhood.
When you are out of town, have a trusted neighbor pick up your newspapers and mail daily or have the post office and news carrier hold them for you.
Engrave your property to deter theft and aid in the recovery of stolen property. Marking your property provides a visual deterrence to theft as well as aiding law enforcement agencies in the identification and recovery of stolen property. Use your Driver's License #, never your Social Security #. Engrave your property in a conspicuous place. Keep good records of the items marked and the location marked.
Set timers for lights and a television so it appears that someone is home while you are traveling.
Do not hide spare keys in obvious places such as: under doormats, in the mailbox, etc. Give a key to a neighbor that you trust.
Whenever you move to a new home, have the locks changed.
Sliders should have ventilation locks as well as auxiliary locks to bolster security.
Keep shrubs around your windows and doors trimmed to eliminate hiding places for intruders.
Utilize sturdy, solid wood or metal doors at all entrances to your home.
Make sure that all exterior doors have well-made deadbolt locks.
Install a wide-angle lens viewer in your front door to make it possible to see who is there without having to open it.
Have a security system installed and monitored for each point-of-entry. A security system only works if you arm it. So, remember to set your alarm every night as well as each time you're away from home.
Do not give out your alarm code to just anyone. Only a family member or trusted friend should know the code in case of an emergency.
