Burglars are basically lazy and will most likely attempt the doors and windows first. To prevent a break in, we want to make it hard for them as we possibly can – target harden your home. Let’s start with the door. All exterior doors should be of heavy gauge metal or solid 1 ¾" hardwood. Doors should fit tightly in their frames, with hinge pins in the inside (so the doors open to the inside). All entry doors should have a peephole or wide-angle viewer. Home invasion robberies painfully illustrate the fact that a person should never open the door to anyone they don’t know. Every external door should have a sturdy, well-installed deadbolt lock. Do not be tempted to rely on the knob-set for security purposes. Doorknobs should be considered as a useful way to open and close the door – not to keep intruders out. The strongest deadbolt locks have a minimum one-inch throw bolt containing a hardened, saw-resistant steel insert.
Make sure the cylinder of the lock has a steel guard A-ring around the key section. The cylinder guard should be tapered, or it should rotate around the key section to prevent wrenching.
The best deadbolt in the world is virtually worthless if the strike plate on the doorframe is not properly secured. The strike plate should be installed with screws that are a minimum length of three inches. This allows the strike plate to be secured to the structural frame of the door, making it almost impossible to kick the door in when the deadbolt is activated.
If you are going out of town for the holidays be sure to complete a Tampa Police Department Vacation Watch form! Now that we have reviewed safety tips in reference to external doors perhaps you have some "homework" to do. In the meantime, remember to use the locks that you have and remind all members of your household to do the same!
Tampa Police Department – District One
Crime Prevention – 354-6692
