Home Safety Tips

Entryways

• Do front, rear & side doors have 180º peepholes, voice intercom devices, or windows to see through?
• Have locks been re-keyed since you moved in?
• Are locks that can be opened from inside at least 40 inches from glass?
• Are entrance doors solid core?
• Do entrance doors have deadbolt locks?
• If hinge pins are outside, are they removable?
• Do doors securely fit doorjambs?
• Are doorjambs tightly fastened?
• Do dead bolt plates have the proper strike plate? (Are they screwed 3” into the frame?)
• Is strike plate securely fastened to doorjamb?
• Is doorjamb constructed adequately? (Solid wood, any previous damage?)
• Does bolt extend sufficiently into strike plate?
• Are door locks in good repair?
• Do screen/storm doors have adequate locks?
• Is “Charley-Bar” or key-operated auxiliary lock used on sliding glass door?
• Can the lock mechanism be reached through a mail slot, delivery port, or pet entrance at doorway?
• Is there an outside door into the basement?
• If so, is this door adequately secured as an exterior door?

Ground Floor Windows

• Do all windows have adequate locks in operating condition?
• Have double hung windows been pinned?
• Can windows left open for ventilation be secured?
• Do curtains/drapes fully cover windows?
• Is window air conditioner secured from inside?
• Do windows have screen/storms that lock from inside?
• Do any windows open onto areas that may be hazardous or offer special risk to burglary?
• Are exterior areas of windows free from concealing structures/landscaping?

Upper Floor Windows

• Do any upper floor windows/doors open onto porch or garage roofs or roofs of adjoining buildings?
• If so, are they secured as adequately as if they were at ground level?

Basement

• Does basement door to living quarters have an adequate lock operated from the living quarters side?
• Are all basement windows adequately secured against entrance?

Exterior

• Do you belong to a neighborhood watch program?
• re shrubs cut below window level?
• Are tree limbs cut above window level?
• Does porch/landscaping offer concealment from view from street or public areas?
• Is exterior phone line tamper-resistant?
• Are basement windows concealed by shrubbery?
• Are house numbers visible and contrasting from the street?
• Can mailbox be locked?
• Are bicycles, mowers, and ladders kept inside?

Exterior Lighting

• Is front door well lit?
• Is side door well lit?
• Is rear door well lit?
• Are other entrances well lit?
• Are there other exterior lights? (e.g. motion detector lights?)

Alarms

• Do you have an alarm system?
• If monitored, does your alarm co. have an up-to-date emergency contact list?
• If not, is there a neighbor who knows how to reach you in an emergency?

Garage

• Does overhead door close tightly?
• Does overhead door have a track padlock?
• Do you keep overhead door closed and locked when not in use?
• Do you remove keys when vehicle is in garage?
• Can garage light be turned on from inside home?
• Are garage windows secured for ground floor windows?