George's Crime Prevention Tips

• The main objective of Crime Prevention is to reduce the opportunity for the crime to take place. Most measures required to protect your home are just common sense decisions that don't cost a lot of money.
• Some exterior residential doors feature hollow-core construction, which can be easily forced or kicked open. For additional protection you need solid doors with quality locks.
• Installing a wide angle peep hole allows you to see who is at your door before you open it
• Many burglars enter a home through sliding glass doors because it offers easy access. Locking mechanisms on these doors are not always secure and the doors can be lifted out of the track.
• Garage doors can easily be opened allowing a burglar access toy our home without detection. Any door leading from the garage to the interior of your home needs to be secured.
• Interior and exterior lighting is a key element in the prevention of burglaries. Inside your home, timers on your lights are recommended. Outside your home, bright lights should be located outside each doorway.
• Burglars don't like noise. A noisy dog is a good way to make them go someplace else. Alarm systems are good too, but they can almost always be defeated by the determined professional. Anything they can get their hands on, they can defeat.
• If you live in a condo or an apartment, remember the whole building is your home. Be sure that outside doors, stairwells, and common area are always secured. Make sure others within your complex do the same.
• For a home, tall bushes around the exterior can provide cover and easy access for burglars. Make sure all shrubs and bushes are below window level.
• Never hesitate to call the police if you see something that looks suspicious.
• Don't assume your valuables are protected in your hotel room. When traveling, it's better to use the hotel safe to protect these items.
• When traveling, dress inconspicuously and don't wear expensive jewelry. Leave the airport as soon as possible and don't advertise where you're staying. If you're taking a cab, wait until you're inside before announcing your destination.
• Every style of hotel lock - plastic card, magnetic card, and regular key - can be defeated. One popular key card system can be broken into using nothing more than a cut-up "Do Not Disturb" sign.