Community Roll Call
Members of the Wauwatosa Police Department's Community Support Division, with backup provided by the folks at WauwatosaNow.com, are now blogging. We will be providing you with an ongoing series of crime prevention tips, any current crime trends as well as pertinent news and notes as it relates to your Police Department.
Burglary Prevention Tips
One of the most personally devastating crimes can be a burglary because of the invasion into what we all feel is our safe haven. As such I am providing some simple tips that will help make your home more burglary resistant.
· Leave exterior lighting on around your home during all hours of darkness.
o I am more of a fan of low level lighting left on during all hours of darkness over flood lamps with a motion sensor. Using a compact fluorescent bulb in an outdoor fixture is not only energy efficient but it also provides great facial and color recognition without being a nuisance to your neighbors.
· Lock all doors and windows when not at home or while sleeping using all the locks and other locking devices installed.
· Open windows should be pinned so that they cannot be open more than 3”. Pinning is accomplished by drilling holes into both frames of a double hung window that you can place some sort of pin through both frames in the closed position as well as while open 3”
o By pinning the windows at 3” you still receive ventilation while preventing the window from being opened any more thus preventing anyone from reaching in or entering without physically breaking the glass.
o If installing new windows I strongly recommend purchasing windows that have pinning devices built right in.
· Never keep purses, laptops, briefcases, wallets or other items of value on the tables or counters near the windows so that a bad guy can see them.
· Basement windows that are not glass block should have horizontal security bars placed directly across the middle of the glass and mounted on both sides with the appropriate mounting hardware for the material the bar is being affixed to. You may want to consider having a few that are hinged on one end and locked or latched on the other if you need an escape route.
o Please refer to fire codes if your basement is being used as living space because then you will be required to have an escape window or something similar.
· Make sure all exterior doors are solid wood or metal and the hinges are on the inside of the building. If the hinges are on the outside replace them with security hinges that will prevent anyone from removing the hinge pins.
· Replace inferior door locks on all structures with dead bolts that have at least a 1” throw.
· All lock strike plates (the plate that a dead bolt or door knob bolt goes into, penetrating the door frame) affixed to door frames should be mounted with 3” screws.
o By using longer screws that go deeper into the framing around the door, anyone using a foot or ramming device in an attempt to break the door in at the lock will have greater difficulty in entering in this manner and most cases will be completely unable to do so.
· If you have glass within 40” of the door’s deadbolt consider a security screen mounted over the glass with screws as long as the door or interior wall is thick. Another fix is to have a glazer apply a residential grade security film to the glass. Both of these modifications will make it more difficult for someone to break the glass and reach inside to turn the deadbolt.
· Ensure that all landscaping is trimmed to a height so that it does not provide a hiding place for would be thieves. Heavy tree limbs are trimmed back at least 6’ from the roof so that someone cannot gain access to your roof or second floor by climbing a tree.
o Low level landscape lighting while not a substitute for standard exterior lighting is a great supplement to exterior lighting and can add to the curb appeal of your home.
· When new big ticket or highly desirable items are purchased, do not leave the empty boxes at the curb for trash pickup; this only advertises your new “Goodies” to the bad guys. To prevent the advertising take the boxes yourself to the City waste yard.
· Never leave your garage door or garden shed door open when you cannot continuously monitor it.
· While not at home keep talk radio on and put interior lights on timers. This will provide the illusion that someone is in the residence and the lighting will make your arrival inside safer and more welcoming if it is dark when you get home.
· If you have an active Block Watch, display your sign inside your residence.
· If you do not have a Block Watch or yours has become inactive, contact the Police Department to start one up or get a refresher meeting going.
· Suspicious activity MUST be reported to the Police Department immediately. Too often people try to rationalize the suspicious activity they are observing instead of calling it in and possibly preventing a crime or maybe allowing the Police to catch someone in the commission of a crime.
Disclaimer: The tips provided on this comment sheet are measures designed to make your residence more secure from unauthorized entry. While there is no guarantee that you will not be the victim of a crime regardless of the precautions taken, by adopting these recommendations you may reduce your risk. The recommendations suggested here and on the comment sheet have been made in good faith and there is no guarantee, implied or stated, that you will not become the victim of a crime or theft.
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