Cactus Village Community

Burglary Prevention Tips . . . By CAO Linda Johnston

Jul 28, 2003

(or, How to ?“Target Harden?” Your Home)

Burglaries in the Phoenix Area continue to increase. The country?’s growing drug problem is a contributing factor and it seems like new burglars pop up with increasing regularity. But the odds of you becoming a victim of this crime can be greatly reduced by using a few simple tactics. Burglars know that the more time it takes to enter your home, the greater the odds of getting caught.

While a well secured home can still be broken into, the time and effort it takes usually sends burglars away to look for an easier target.
Open garage doors account for a large amount of burglaries. A burglar only has to walk/drive/bike
through a neighborhood, find an open garage door and take golf clubs, bicycles, power tools and even cars.
Burglars have also become bold enough to enter occupied homes to commit their crimes, so you should always keep your doors locked whether you?’re at home or not.

The following tips will help ?“target harden?” your home:

?• Double doors or garden doors: These doors need solid security as they are easily jimmied or forced open. Slide bolts installed at the bottom of both doors are recommended. Make sure the bold is long, sturdy and slides into the concrete floor. A deadbolt alone will not secure these doors without slide bolts.

?• Deadbolt locks: High-quality deadbolt locks can provide excellent protection. Police recommend a lock with at least one-inch of bolt travel. This puts the bolt well into the doorframe, providing strong support for the door. The strike plate should be a minimum of four to five inches long and attached to the doorframe with four screws that measure at least three inches in length. The deadbolt cylinder should also have a steel guard around the key section. The cylinder guard should be tapered and rotate freely around this section to prevent a burglar from twisting it off with vice grips or channel locks. A deadbolt lock should be on every door that allows access to your home.

?• Door with windows: For doors with windows or glass ornamentation, consider having a ?“capture key?” deadbolt lock. When you leave your home, remove the key from the inside lock
and lock the door from the outside. This prevents a burglar from reaching inside to unlock the door after breaking out the window. Keep the key in the lock when you are home. This is necessary for easy exit in case of fire or other emergency.

?• Arcadia doors and windows: A slidebolt or security bar should be installed in the track when closed. 0 prevent an arcadia door from being removed from its track, install screws in the track above the sliding door where the door is positioned when locked. Install and adjust the screws so the heads barely clear the top of the door as it slides back and forth. Now there is no room to lift the door out of the track to remove it.

?• Landscaping: Consider planting thorny plants such as cactus, roses or Bougainvillea under windows to keep intruders away. Shrubs that cover windows give burglars a place to hide while working to break in. Keep them trimmed below window lever. Keep tree branches six to seven feet above ground level. This opens up the view, increasing natural surveillance.

?• Security lighting: Outdoor motion detectors should be installed in areas such as garage doors, entry/exit points and windows. Interior lighting using timers or photo sensors will give the impression that someone is home at night.

?• Newspapers and mail:
Keep newspapers and mail from accumulating when you are away by asking a neighbor or friend to pick them up daily. This is a clear giveaway that you are not home.

?• Fencing: Burglars prefer a clear escape route. Although fences will not keep them out, they do slow burglars down and prevent removal of heavy items. Keep your gates locked.

?• Burglar alarms: Police support the use of alarm systems. They don?’t have to be expensive and residents don?’t necessarily need a monitoring service. The objective here is to scare the burglar away before he gains entry. An audible alarm system having switches on all windows and doors is adequate and fairly inexpensive for the net gain, mainly, peace of mind.

?• Be a vigilant citizen: The public is the eyes and ears of the police. Together, we are partners in a battle against those who would use your property to finance drug habits and other nefarious activities. Be a good neighbor and citizen by calling the police upon seeing suspicious activity in the neighborhood. . . ☻