Home and Neighborhood Safety (PATROL-911)
Protecting yourself and your property starts at home. Taking personal safety measures, teaching your children family rules, and getting involved with your neighbors are all ways to reduce your risk of becoming a victim. Check Your Locks Make sure every external door has a strong, well-installed dead bolt lock. Key-in-the-knob locks alone are not enough. Sliding glass doors offer easy access if they are not properly secured. You can secure them by putting a broomstick or dowel in the inside track to jam the door or by installing commercially available locks. To prevent the door being lifted off of the track, drill a hole through the sliding 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 at a 45 degree angle between the inner and outer frames, then insert a nail that can be removed. You should secure basement windows with grilles or grates (but make sure that they can...