Police Offer Tips to Prevent Home Break-Ins

On July 27, 2009, in Uncategorized, by The News Staff

In recent weeks, Somerville Police have been experiencing an increase in
residential break-ins, especially through unlocked doors and open
windows. Every year, Somerville, like every other city and town,
experiences an increase in residential breaks as soon as the warm
weather arrives, according to Chief Anthony Holloway. Protecting your
home and family from criminal intrusion should be high on everyone's
priority list. Becoming a victim of a burglary can leave a family
feeling vulnerable and violated, according to Chief Holloway. Residents
are urged to take common sense precautions to protect their home and
valuables, including registering your laptops and other valuable
electronic items with Somerville's Web based Registry Anti-theft
Program, known as WRAP. You can access this program on the City's web
site.

The Police Department is reminding residents to take
some simple precautions that will reduce your chances of becoming a
victim of a home burglary.

How are homes targeted?

Simple selection process

Choose an unoccupied home with easy access, the greatest amount of cover and the best escape routes.

Homeowners often make this selection process easy for thieves by failing to take simple precautions.

What can you do to prevent becoming a victim?

Harden the Target

Burglars will usually bypass a house if it requires too much effort or more skills or tools than they possess.

Most breaks are through front or back doors.

Unlocked outer doors to common hallways give thieves a chance to break
in through inner doors while remaining out of sight of neighbors and
police. Keep outside doors locked

Doors and Locks

Use a solid core or metal door at entrance points.

Use a heavy-duty deadbolt with a one inch throw bolt.

Use a quality knob-in-lock set with dead latch mechanism.

Use a heavy duty strike plate with 3 inch screws into the frame

Use a wide angle peephole

When you move into a new house or apartment, change the door locks

Breaks through doors

Most common method of forced entry is simply to kick in the door.

The weakest point is usually the lock strike plate.

You should upgrade to a heavy-duty strike plate.

Sliding Glass Doors

This type of door is usually secured by latches only.

They are vulnerable to attack.

Security can be increased by inserting a wooden dowel or stick into the door track to prevent movement.

There are also metal track blockers / locks available.

Windows (the most frequent point of entry during warm weather months)

Windows are left unlocked at a much higher rate than doors.

An open window that is visible from the street may be the sole reason
that a house is targeted. An open window with only a locked window
screen is particularly inviting to thieves. Access is quick, easy and
silent.

Windows have latches, not locks; they should have secondary locking devices.

Wooden sticks/dowels work well with horizontal sliding windows.

Windows

For vertical windows, through the frame pins work well.

For ventilation, leave no more than a 4 – 6 inch window opening.

Make sure that opening is not large enough to allow someone to reach through to unlock the door or remove window lock.

Be A Good NeighborHow are homes targeted?

Get to know your neighbors.

Agree to watch each other's home.

While on vacation, pick up mail, newspapers, packages and flyers; put out their trash on trash day (and return empty barrels).

Offer to park your car in their driveway.

Water flowers, grass and plants.

Communicate with each other.

Lighting

Interior lighting is necessary to show signs of activity inside.

Use timers (lights, radios and televisions). Make the home appear occupied.

Exterior lighting is very important.

Lights in front of the home should be on a timer.

Use timers or motion sensors for other exterior lighting, especially at the rear of the house.

Alarm Systems

Increase the potential of burglar being caught.

Burglars will usually bypass a home that they believe has a burglar alarm.

An audible horn or siren must be part of the system.

Alarm systems be professionally installed and maintained.

Alarm systems should reset within three minutes so as not to disturb the neighborhood.

Leave a key to your house and alarm system with a trusted neighbor who is usually there when you are not home.

Alarm systems can also monitor fire sensors and panic buttons.

Operation Identification

Engrave your driver's license number (and state) on televisions, stereos, computers and small electronic appliances.

Photograph your valuables, especially jewelry and electronics.

Make a list of make, model, serial numbers and value of important items.

Give a copy of this list to a relative or close friend.

What if you see something of someone acting suspicious????

If you see anyone acting suspicious around your house or a neighbor's house, call 911 immediately.

If your house is broken into, call police immediately. Don't touch anything that the criminal may have touched.

Wait outside for police to arrive.

Write down plate numbers of suspicious vehicles.

Not
all break-ins will be stopped, regardless of the precautions that you
take. Talk to your insurance agent to make sure that your valuables
will be covered in the event of a theft.