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Casual lifestyles, unseasonably warm weather, and forgetfulness leads to unsafe practices by home owners and apartment renters. Burglaries, thefts, sexual assaults, and many other crimes occur, in part, because tenants and owners put themselves in a position of danger by not utilizing the safety tools they already possess.
INVENTORY YOUR LIVING SPACE
Before you begin implementing new security measures, take a few moments to survey your living space. How many points of entry are there? Do you have large plants, shrubs or trees in front of windows? Do you have working locks on all doors and windows?
LOCK UP
According to the Madison (Wisconsin) Police Department, more than half of all burglaries occur as a result of unlocked entryways. Even the most expensive locks in the world won't do you any good, unless they're used regularly. One of the easiest ways to protect you and your family is to lock all points of entry. Pay careful attention to these areas:
DOORS. All doors leading to the inside of the residence or apartment building should have standard door locks and a dead bolt lock. It's important to note that most standard door locks (that work by turning a small dial on the doorknob) offer only minimal protection, at best. The majority of all such locks can be opened with a butter knife, screwdriver, credit card, or drivers license. The simplest and most inexpensive way to upgrade your home security is to install a dead bolt lock.
PATIO DOORS. Sliding patio doors are a common point of entry for burglars and other home invaders. Aside from locking the door manually, all patio door owners should use some form of bar lock. Bar locks attach directly to the door and extend to the wall at waist level. Using a stick or pole is equally as effective. Poles, cut-off broom handles and the like can be laid on the floor between the patio door that opens and the wall. The bar can be a few inches shorter than the door to allow for ventilation, but should remain out of reach to would-be burglars.
WINDOWS. All windows inside the residence should have locks which operate from the inside. Locking screens are also a helpful deterrent. Windows on the first floor or those accessible from roofs, fire exits, or patios can be fitted with vent locks, which allow for adequate circulation, but prevent entrance to the home.
ADDITIONAL SAFETY MEASURES
OUTSIDE LIGHTS. Lighting the area around your house is one of the easiest ways to deter a home invader. Light all walkways and entry points to the home with bright lighting or motion detection lights, which only illuminate when someone or something passes under a built-in sensor. Parking lots, garages, and other miscellaneous points of entry should be well lit, too. Yale Securities points out that "sixty-two percent of all burglaries take place from the back of the house." Mount lights high and out-of-reach, where burglars cannot remove skylights and bulbs by hand.
INSIDE LIGHTING. Setting up a light system inside your dwelling is another way to keep persons from entering. Automatic timers for appliances and lamps are an easy, cost-effective way to add a little more protection. Automatic timers can be set to turn on a TV or radio, as well. This method of protection works well for people are home infrequently. You can set various timers to trigger lamps or appliances in various locations of your home, as well, to make it appear as if someone is inside.
TRIM. Tall bushes or trees which obstruct your view should be trimmed back. You don't want to enable a burglar to go unseen. Keep all windows free of limbs, bushes, and other objects which will allow a burglar to remain unseen.
GARAGE DOORS. Open garage doors are an invitation to burglars and other home invaders. Always keep garage doors closed and locked. The same goes for garage windows, dog doors, and other openings to the garage.
PEEP HOLES. Wide angle peep holes provide you with valuable information. Once you see who's on the other side of the door, you can decide whether or not to open the door. Wide angle peep holes allow you to see your entire entryway. If you have small children who frequently open the door to company, install low level peep holes so they, too, can get into the habit of looking before opening.
HIDDEN KEYS. While hiding a key outside your home can be convenient if you're ever accidentally locked out, it's also convenient to burglars. Believe it or not, most burglars look for hidden keys first. Never hide house keys, car keys, or garage door keys anywhere outside your home. Instead, leave an extra key with a neighbor or friend.
IDENTIFY YOURSELF. Engraving your property will allow you to trace your valuables, should they be stolen. Computers, tools, jewelry, and other valuables should be given individual identification numbers. If you don't own an engraving tool, contact your local Police Department. Most city level Police Departments allow residents to borrow engravers at will.
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH. If you haven't joined a neighborhood watch program, consider it now. Most communities form some type of program, in which home owners look out for each other.
BASEMENT WINDOWS. Basement windows are often overlooked. They may be small, but they're common points of entry for burglars. Lock all basement windows and keep them clean, so you can see out. If basement windows are located at the rear of the house, install additional lighting to the area.
TOOLS. Ladders, pieces of wood, bricks, lattices, pipes, and TV antennas are tools to burglars. Store all such items inside a locked garage. If a TV antenna is no longer used, remove it. Antennas are frequently used as ladders by burglars, allowing them to gain entry to your home.
ANIMALS. Dogs are a burglars worst nightmare. The dog need not be vicious or even protective. Dogs naturally bark and create enough of a disturbance to drive burglars away from your living space. If you don't have a dog, pretend. Purchase a "Beware of Dog" sign and place it near your home. Many electronic devices that simulate a dog bark are also available. Using the same mechanism as a motion detection spotlight, these devices emit a realistic dog bark when tripped or triggered.
FIRE DOORS. Many apartment buildings still have fire exits which are unlocked for safety reasons. Just because the door is unlocked, doesn't mean you can't add security. Most cities are now installing motion detection sensors or cameras to these areas. Contact your landlord for more information.
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