Home Security Check the locks Check the doors Check the outside Consider an Alarm Burglars Do More Than Steal There's More You Can Do Check the locks Did you know that in almost half of all completed residential burglaries, thieves simply breezed in through unlocked doors or crawled through unlocked windows? * Make sure every external door has a sturdy, well- installed dead bolt lock. Key-in-the-knob locks alone are not enough. * Sliding glass doors can offer easy access if they are not properly secured. You can secure them by installing commercially available locks or putting a broomstick or dowel in the inside track to jam the door. To prevent the door being lifted off the track, drill a hole through the slide door frame and the fixed frame. Then insert a pin in the hole. * Lock double-hung windows with key locks or "pin" your windows by drilling a small hole into a 45 degree angle between the inner and outer frames, then insert a nail that can be removed. Secure basement windows with grilles or grates. * Instead of hiding keys around the outside of your home, give an extra key to a neighbor you trust. * When you move into a new house or apartment, re-key the locks. Check the doors A lock on a flimsy door is about as effective as locking your car door but leaving the window down. * All outside doors should be metal or solid wood. * If your doors don't fit tightly in their frames, install weather stripping around them. * Install a peephole or wide angle viewer in all entry doors so you can see who is outside without opening the door. Door chains break easily and don't keep out intruders. Check the outside Look at your house from the outside. Make sure you know the following tips. * Thieves hate bright lights. Install outside lights and keep them on at night. * Keep your yard clean. Prune back shrubbery so it doesn't hide doors or windows. Cut back tree limbs that a thief could use to climb to an upper-level window. * If you travel, create the illusion that you're at home by getting some timers that will turn lights on and off in different areas of your house throughout the evening. Lights burning 24 hours a day signal an empty house. * Leave shades, blinds, and curtains in normal positions. And don't let your mail pile up! Call the post office to stop delivery or have a neighbor pick it up. * Make a list of your valuables - VCRs, stereos, computers, jewelry. Take photos of the items, list their serial numbers and description. Check with law enforcement about engraving your valuables through Operation Identification. * Ask local law enforcement for a free home security survey. Consider an Alarm Alarms can be a good investment, especially if you have many valuables in your home, or live in an isolated area or one with a history of break-ins. * Check with several companies before you buy so you can decide what level of security fits your needs. Do business with an established company and check references before signing a contract. * Learn how to use your system properly! Don't "cry wolf" by setting off false alarms. People will stop paying attention and you'll probably be fined. * Some less expensive options...a sound-detecting socket that plugs into a light fixture and makes the light flash when it detects certain noises, motion sensing outdoor lights that turn on when someone approaches, or lights with photo cells that turn on when it's dark and off when it's light. Burglars Do More Than Steal Burglars can commit rape, robbery, and assault if they are surprised by someone coming home or pick a home that is occupied. * If something looks questionable - a slit screen, a broken window or an open door - don't go in. Call the police from a neighbor's house or a public phone. * At night, if you think you hear someone breaking in, leave safely if you can, then call the police. If you can't leave, lock yourself in a room with a phone and call the police. If an intruder is in your room, pretend you are asleep. * Gun are responsible for many accidental deaths in the home every year. Think carefully before buying a gun or keeping weapons in the home. If you do own one, learn how to store it and use it safely. There's More You Can Do * Join a neighborhood watch group. If one doesn't exist, you can start one with help from local law enforcement. * Never leave a message on your answering machine that indicates you may be away from home now, say "I'm not available right now." Work with neighbors and local government to organize community clean-ups. The cleaner your neighborhood, the less attractive it is to crime. Rural Crime Prevention check doors and locks check the outside protect equipment and livestock guard your crops help your neighbors take a stand ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Don't let your guard down just because you live in the country. Rural communities have their own unique crime problems - like theft of crops, timber, livestock, and expensive farm equipment. Vandals do more than break mailboxes, they can destroy crops and fields. Alcohol and drug abuse problems plague rural youth as well as those in the suburbs and cities. And of course, crimes like burglary, rape, assault, and auto theft happen in rural areas, but less frequently than in cities. Invest some time and money in prevention now. What's the payoff? Better security around your property, less worry about crime and your family's safety. Be a good neighbor - when you're out and about, keep an eye on neighbors' homes, livestock, and equipment. Tell them and the sheriff or police about anything that makes you uneasy or suspicious. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check the doors and locks * Make sure outside doors - in your home and outbuildings - are solid wood or metal and have dead bolt locks. * Use the locks! * Secure sliding glass doors with commercially available locks or with a broomstick or wooden dowel in the track to jam the door in case someone tries to pry it open. * Insert screws in the upper track going into the fixed frame, to prevent anyone from lifting the door from its track. * Secure double-hung windows by sliding bolt or nail through a hole drilled at a downward angle in each top corner of the inside sash and part way through the outside sash. * Secure basement windows well. Check the outside * Thieves hate bright lights. Install outside lights and keep them on at night. * Keep your house, driveway, barns, and other buildings well-lighted at night. Use timers that automatically turn on outside lights when it gets dark. * Consider motion sensors that set off lights or alarms. * Prune back shrubbery that hides doors, windows, lights, and would-be burglars. * Keep your fences in good repair. Secure all access roads with gates or cables stretched between posts cemented in the ground. Make them visible with flags or streamers. * Warn thieves that you're on the alert with "No Trespassing," "No Hunting," and other signs around your property. Protect equipment and livestock * Operation Identification - marking tools, guns, and equipment with a permanent identification number such as driver's license or Social Security - has helped reduce theft in many rural areas. Work with law enforcement to determine the best methods, and make it a community project. * To help stop modern rustlers, tattoo all livestock (usually on the ears). Although it's easier to use eartags or neck chains, these can be removed. Mark young stock soon after birth. * Take regular counts of all livestock. * Secure gas pumps, gas tanks, storage bins, and grain elevators with sturdy padlocks or dead bolts. * Keep small equipment - like mowers, bikes, snowmobiles - locked in a barn or garage. * Keep guns locked and unloaded in a secure place away from curious children and would-be thieves. * Never leave keys in vehicles or farm equipment. * Always lock your trucks and other vehicles when they're not in use. And don't leave tools in the open back of a pick-up truck or in an unsecured truck bed toolbox. * Don't leave major equipment in a field overnight. Lock it in a barn or shed near the house, or park where it can be seen from your house or a neighbor's. * If machines must be left out for long periods of time, disable them by removing the rotor, distributor, or battery. Guard your crops * Store harvested crops in protected and locked locations. * Consider marking grain, hay, or similar crops with nontoxic confetti that is easily removed by storage or processing facilities. * Keep a record of your valuable timber. Mark each with a paint stripe. * Keep storage areas neat and well-organized so that any theft will be noticed immediately. This also warns potential thieves that the owner is watchful. * Check employees' references. Before they start, talk about your crime prevention measures. Help your neighbors * Get together with others in the community to start a Neighborhood or Farm Watch group. Involve all ages, and work with law enforcement. Recruit from churches and civic groups. Use CB radios or cellular phones to patrol and report suspicious activities to the sheriff or police. * When you go away, stop delivery of your mail or newspapers or ask a neighbor to pick them up. You want to create the illusion that someone's at home and following everyday routines. Have neighbors check your property, and return the favor when they leave on business or vacation trips. Take a stand * If your school district doesn't have an alcohol, drug, and crime prevention curriculum in place, help start one. * Check out recreational opportunities for teens - work with schools, 4-H, or Future Farmers to fill the gaps, both after school and on weekends. * Educate young people about the hazards of operating farm machinery and being around livestock. For example, tractors are involved in 69 percent of farm machinery deaths, and young people raised on farms often operate these machines at early ages.