Did you know that burglaries happen every 13 seconds? Here are some ideas that will help you decide what additional steps you might want to take to improve your home security. The list below was compiled from various sources over several years and is a good starting point for improving your home security and commercial environments as well.

Exterior Lighting

• Main entryways to your residence or office building should be well lit to allow for identification of visitors at your doors and to prevent loitering. 90% of all intruders will choose not to enter a building that is well lit.
• All entrances should be illuminated well.
• Floodlights or some other type of area illumination should cover all exterior sections of your home and property.
• Use motion sensors to control your exterior lighting.

Exterior Entries

• Most burglars spend only 30 to 60 seconds attempting to gain entry into a home. This implies that the harder it is for a burglar to get into a home, the better chance that he will move on to an easier target.
• All sheds or outbuildings should be secured with a quality, weatherproof padlock.
• All valuables stored outside (bikes, ladders, lawnmowers, motorcycles, etc.) should be secured to a fixed, immovable object.
• Keep ladders, tools or items that could be used to gain access to your home locked up and out of sight.

Garage Doors

• 10% of all illegal entries are gained through a garage door.
• If your overhead garage door is not equipped with an automatic opener, have good-quality padlocks installed on both sides of the door.
• Your exterior main door and the door from the garage into your home should have quality deadbolts. Always use them.
• Always close your overhead garage door, even when you are home.
• Be sure your garage door can be secured. Do not leave it open when you are away; an empty garage broadcasts your absence.
• Lock the door leading from the garage to the house.

Interior

• 74.3% of unsuccessful burglaries are attributed to the alarm system "scaring away" the intruder. The probability of a burglary at a residential site without an alarm system is 14.8%.
• Have a working home alarm system that is monitored through a central monitoring station.
• Always remember to arm the alarm before you leave.
• Your alarm system should be armed when you will be in your backyard for any length of time.
• Discontinue mail and newspaper service when away from home on vacation or business.
• Arrange for a friend or neighbor to come by and check on your home when you plan on being away several days or longer.
• Avoid announcing "We are not home right now." on your telephone answering machine.
• Engrave your driver’s license number into valuables. 

Landscaping

• Fences and shrubbery can make good hiding places for burglars.
• Tree limbs should be trimmed to prevent access to upper floor windows or balconies.
• Plant "prickly" or thorny shrubbery near windows to discourage loitering or hiding.
• All outdoor foliage should be trimmed to prevent obstruction of exterior lighting. 

Sliding Glass Doors

• Sliding glass doors are usually installed at the rear of a home or apartment making them good candidates for entry by a burglar.
• Auxiliary locks can prevent the door from being lifted out of its track.
   

Crown Security has been serving the Greater Baltimore Business District and all of Maryland since 1962 by offering Security Personnel Services and Electronic Security Systems for a myriad of applications. As Baltimore’s local leader in providing total security solutions for all commercial applications, from Class A Office Buildings to Industrial/Office Parks and Residential Properties, our clients look to us for our expertise when it comes to all types of security-related issues. We pride ourselves on our “hands on” approach to providing service and being there whenever we are needed, so naturally, we try to help whenever we can.

If you have any questions about this article or services we might provide, please visit Crown Security on the web at www.crownsecuritysystem.com or call 410-235-5577 and ask for Ron Allen (ext-102) or Bill Miller (ext-104). 

To visit the 2009 Friends of IREM page, click here.