Here are some basic tips for people trying to make their home and possessions more secure.

The first step is installing quality locks on all exterior doors to the home. The best choice is a deadbolt, but although some deadbolts might look strong, they may still not withstand an effort to break in. A homeowner is best advised to contact the police or a locksmith about what type of deadbolt is best.

Secondly, the homeowner should ensure the home is equipped with solid doors. Hollow core doors are easily broken through. Instead, entrance doors should be steel clad or solid core.

Thirdly, consider installing window bars, especially on basement windows commonly accessed in break-ins. The number of people installing window bars is increasing, but too often, homeowners only react after their first break-in has occurred.

Fourthly, homeowners should consider installing a home security system. The added protection might be worth the expense if the home is filled with valuables. Home security alarms may include heat and motion detectors, door contacts and glass detectors.

A safe can be installed in the home to protect jewelry and other valuables. Small safes or deposit boxes should be cemented and bolted to the wall or floor.

People should take special security precautions if they plan to be away from their homes for several days. Leaving lights on, having a neighbor put out the garbage cans on the appropriate day and arranging to have someone pick up daily mail could help keep potential break-ins from happening while the home is unoccupied.

If the home will be empty for extended periods, the homeowner in a small community could notify the police who can usually include the home on the night’s checklist.

People need to develop a habit of always locking up. A habit of leaving a spare key under the door mat needs to be broken.

It is also a good idea to mark valuables with invisible ink or an engraving pencil. The valuables should be marked with a number unique to the owner – a social insurance or driver’s license number can be used.

Be aware of who you’re buying a burglar alarm from

Police agencies are planning to lobby the government to set up some legislative guidelines regarding the companies who sell the equipment, but in the meantime, it remains a buyer beware market.

Find out if they’re reputable. A lot of them look in the papers to see what homes have been broken into, then they contact the owners to see if they want to buy a home security system.

Someone who has just experienced a break-in is probably more vulnerable to this type of sale. And those who do purchase security devices for their home must be prepared to take on some additional responsibilities. For example, if they go away for the weekend who, apart from the police, is going to attend to the alarm?

Police have frequently dealt with complaints from neighbors who have had to listen to an audible alarm ring for extended periods of time. Have a neighbor or a relative who is willing to attend the alarm along with the police, so there is someone with a key for police to enter the residence to investigate and someone who can disengage the alarm.

If the burglar alarm is monitored, the company which it’s hooked up to usually requires that at least two alternate key holders are listed to respond if the homeowner isn’t available. Residential alarms tend to cost police departments a lot of time and money, since many are false alarms. If you trip your own alarm system, don’t wait until police arrive. Contact the monitoring company or the police to let them know it’s a false alarm.

If you don’t have an alarm system, don’t be a hero. Contact 911 and stay on the line until the police advise you to hang up. Don’t try to catch a burglar on your own.

One of the least expensive ways to provide a more secure home is to purchase and install proper dead bolts on doors and locks on windows.

• Never leave cash, valuable jewelry or art objects in the house when you go on holiday. Tuck all valuables away in your safety deposit box.

• Never hide a key anywhere. Even amateur thieves will look under a doormat, a flower pot or in a mailbox for a key.

• Never leave informative notes (“Mary, an extra key is…”) on a desk, door or table.

• Always leave a radio on somewhere in the house, and a light on, from dusk to dawn, over every entry door. Electricity costs less than house contents. But don’t leave outside lights on during the day to convey the message that no one is home to turn them off.

Deadbolt locks

• Make sure tree limbs can’t be used as entry to your house, and that trees and shrubs are trimmed so they don’t hide a burglar’s efforts to break in.

• Place portable appliances and entertainment equipment so it can’t be seen from a window or door.

• Install deadbolt locks on every entry door and ensure that there is no space around a door frame for a thief to insert a pry bar or screwdriver to jimmy the door open.

• Ensure that garages and storage sheds are adequately locked and pay attention to what you store in them. Mowers, blowers, boats, motors and snowmobiles are much sought after by robbers.

• Make sure the place doesn’t look empty or uninhabited. Leave some curtains open, others closed.

• Mark your belongings by borrowing an electric engraver from your local police headquarters. Or buy an engraver at a local hardware store, they’re not expensive. By engraving a portion of your social insurance number or your driver’s license number on your personal property items, you make it difficult for robbers to fence what they steal.

Summer usually means people will be away from home for extended periods of time, so we  would like to take this opportunity to offer you some home security tips on making  your home safe, secure and hopefully prevent you from becoming a victim of a break and  enter.

• Before leaving, ensure that all entries are secured.

• Inform a neighbour/friend or relative of your departure and return dates and leave a  number where you can be reached.

• Make arrangements to have your newspaper and mail picked up.

• Store small valuables in a safe deposit box.

• Arrange for trimming of the lawn.

• Use clock timers that activate lights or radios at intervals.

By taking these simple precautionary measures you give the impression that someone is  home.

Homeowners need to quit making it easy for a burglar. The best way to do that is by making a complete check of your house and outside property to determine where a burglar could enter. Doors and windows in most homes won’t stop a determined burglar.

Some things to protect your home include:

• Every exterior door should have a dead-bolt lock with a one-inch throw.

• Those moving into a new house or apartment should consider re-keying the locks.

• Secure sliding glass doors with commercially available locks with a rigid wooden dow in the track.

• Lock double-hung windows by sliding a bolt or nail through a hole drilled at a downward angle in each corner or the inside sash and part way through the outside sash.

• Don’t hide keys to locks in mailboxes, planters or under the doormats. Give a duplicate key to a trusted neighbor instead.

• Make sure outside doors, including the one between the house and garage, are solid 1-inch metal or hard wood.

• Doors should tightly fit in their frames and hinges should be on the inside.

• Install a peephole or wideangle viewer in all entry doors so you can see who is outside without opening the door.

• Teach children safety rules about answering the door and phone, along with how to get out if there’s a fire.

When it comes to the outside of a house, a homeowner should walk the entire perimeter and look for every possible way in which someone can enter their house. To discourage burglars from selecting your home as their place of work, the following things should be done:

• Prune any shrubbery that hides doors or windows and cut back tree limbs that could help a thief climb into second story windows.

• All porches, entrances and yards need to be well-lighted.

• Keep ladders and tools inside the garage or basement when not in use.

• When going away, people should put lights and a radio on timers to create the illusion that someone is home. Leave curtains, blinds and shades in normal positions. Always stop mail and newspaper deliveries.

Secure your doors. Burglars are used to forced entry. They will kick your doors to get in. You can’t give them the chance to enter your house or at least give them some hard time in invading your doorsteps! Use one-inch-long quality deadbolt lock and metal box strike in your metal doors. Using a high quality, durable, knob-in-lock with a built in dead-latch mechanism. You can install a 160 degrees peephole. But if you’re using sliding-glass patio doors secured by latches which make them more vulnerable to forced entry, you can insert a wooden rod or stick to put off or limit movement. You must also keep the latch mechanism as well as the sliding rollers in good state and they must be properly adjusted. Alarm systems and dogs are also advisable for sliding glass doors to keep burglars away.

Avoid accessible windows. These windows that can be easily accessed through a stairway, tree, or fence, should be secured with secondary blocking devices. You must also ensure that no one will reach the window to remove the installed blocking device. To hinder the window from being lifted up, you may want to use anti-lift devices. If you’ve got window air conditioners, you can secure them by using sturdy screws through wood or metal framing to prevent burglars from pushing them in.

Wise landscape gardening also aids in preventing burglars from entering your residence. Trim tall plants that can cover burglars and tree branches that can act as easy access route to windows and roof. Interior and exterior lighting are both essential for home security. Install lights near doors, windows, blind spots and pathways. You can also use interior light timers to show signs of occupancy. Exterior lights must allow 100-feet visibility.

Alarm systems have been proven effective in promoting home security. They are an effective method to discourage burglars because they increase the fear of getting caught red handed and arrested. In order for an alarm system to be effective, it must be properly installed and maintained. They must have a built in audible horn or bell. Your alarm response call list should always be up to date. You must also befriend your neighbors so you’ll be able to teach them how to respond when the alarm bells. Repeat that. You must befriend your neighbors. Invite them in your home. Do things you mutually like. Keep the communications open to establish trust. You will never know how they may help you when burglars get in. Hope these helps in keeping you at peace when you’re out of the house or you’re sleeping soundly at night.

In the real world, protecting your home and valuables comes down to a compromise between what makes you feel secure and what level of inconvenience you’re willing to tolerate. Homeowners in the inner city, for example, tend to hide behind iron bars, while those in more affluent communities generally count on alarm systems.

A dark-color house that has big overhangs and a recessed front door with no exterior lights but lots of trees and heavy shrubbery is an invitation to trouble. Setting up multiple roadblocks that steer intruders away from your house is a homeowner’s best protection. The more obstacles, the better chance of keeping the crooks out or at least slowing them down.

Even so, there’s no such thing as a foolproof home security system. Burglars can pry open a window in a matter of seconds, cut through iron bars in minutes, climb in and out of a house long before the cops show up and trick a guard dog into forgetting what it’s trained to do.

Home security should be a total package that considers everything from the structure itself to lighting, overhangs and landscaping. Motion detectors are a good idea, too.

The bright light not only discourages break-ins, but also alerts homeowners to potential problems. Security devices need not be expensive, either. Recommendations include dowels as well as nails, shims, screws or slide blocks to keep windows and sliding-glass doors from opening all the way.

There’s little homeowners can do to make louvered windows more secure. If you can’t afford to replace them, you can glue the panes into the window frame. All windows need to be at least 6 feet from door locks. If a window is too close, homeowners might be able to switch the lock to the opposite side of the door.

Exterior doors themselves should be solid-core, with hinges on the inside. Avoid glass-pane doors that make it easy for intruders to reach inside for the lock.

Also be wary of door styles with -inch wooden panels that burglars can easily kick in. Home security experts recommend deadbolts with a 2-inch throw on front doors. Double-key entries, which require a key on the inside as well as the outside, also are a good idea. But a double entry defeats the purpose if you leave the key in the door.

If you’re moving into an older house that already has iron bars on the windows, make sure they have a quick-release mechanism. Otherwise you could get stuck on the wrong side of a fire or other emergency. If you can’t get out, you’ve bought your own prison.

Monitored alarm systems are another good alternative. Prominently placed security company signs and stickers also act as deterrents. But be advised that troublemakers are wise to the generic alarm signs that some homeowners use in place of real systems. Sirens are better off inside than outside the house, because they tend to disorient intruders.

Homeowners should have have a backup to the basic alarm system. Consider a motion detector, heat sensor, magnetic contacts and glass-break detectors.

Landscaping is another important home security consideration. Shrubs should work with you, not against you to help keep you and your property safe. A wide-open, front-door entry, for instance, is far safer than one hidden behind trees. You don’t have to have a naked-looking house to be safe, but you don’t need to plant a jungle, either.

So-called security plants, including bougainvillea and natal plum, are a good choice. Nobody likes to hide out in bushes filled with thorns and stickers. Tall, substantial trees should not be close enough to the house to provide easy access to the second floor. And a 6-foot fence around the back yard isn’t going to do much good if you leave a 10-foot ladder, a sturdy trellis or a stack of pallets sitting in front of it.

No matter what type of security you choose, make sure it encompasses the entire house. Too often, homeowners concentrate on the front of their house, neglecting the rest. It’s all too common, for instance, to find an iron gate on a front door and unprotected louvered windows on the back.

Police officers suggest these additional security precautions for keeping out home intruders: Change all door locks when you move into a new house. Paint your address prominently on the front of the house and consider putting the numbers on the side facing the alley and on the roof. This will make it easier for police or other emergency help to find your place quickly.

Make sure all security devices are installed properly. Install a peephole in your front door, and use it. If you don’t know the person at the door, don’t open it. Make sure your window air conditioners are firmly secured. Often, all a thief has to do is push one through the opening. Examine greenhouse windows; some have bottom panes that easily lift out, providing easy access to the house.

A barking dog might scare off some burglars or at least alert a homeowner to potential trouble. But realize that an intruder can easily sidetrack the animal by tempting it with a treat and, perhaps, lacing it with a knockout drug. Keep your property clean and tidy.

An unkempt appearance says that you don’t care about your home and probably haven’t taken strong steps to protect it. An unprotected back yard is an open invitation to trouble. If you have a gate that can be locked, take the time to lock it. An open padlock is not going to fool anyone.

Inspect your mail slot to make sure someone can’t stick a hand through it and reach the door lock. Remember that most burglars expect you to hide an extra key within 10 feet of your front door and to use alarm codes keyed to your birthday, middle or maiden name. Be original.

1. Check your home, keeping in mind how you would break in. Why would you choose this home if you were a burglar.

2. When burglar-proofing your home, keep in mind fire safety. You should install smoke detectors and have fire extinguishers ready to use.

3. Trim shrubbery below window level. If shrubbery conceals a good lock, the lock becomes ineffective.

4. High fences can be good privacy, but can also provide good concealment for the burglar. Keep pad locks on gates.

5. House numbers should be placed on the front and back of the house. This aids in emergency response.

6. Lighting properly displayed can be a great deterrent to a would-be burglar. You want lighting to come down on what your are trying to light up, such as a light on a pole in an alley.

7. Main entry doors should be sturdy. Hinges should have a pin in them so they can’t be removed. Doors should be solid wood or metal. The door lock should be a deadbolt, with at least a one-inch thick throw bolt and should be equipped with a hefty cylinder guard. The strike plate should be held in place with 2 1/2 inch screws or longer. You may also consider a flange plate around the lock to protect doors from kick attack.

8. Garage doors should have a pin placed behind the wheel in the frame of the door, the garage door leading into the home should be secured with a deadbolt. If you use a double-key deadbolt, a key should be in the lock at all times when someone is in the home.

9. Windows should be secured with a second locking device. A removable pin in the frame offers good security. Remember fire safety.

10. Mark and take photographs of all property. The recommended way of marking property is to use an electrical engraver and to imprint your driver’s license number. An engraver may be checked out from the police department.

11. Spread your property throughout your home, making it harder for the burglar to locate items such as guns, jewelry, money and stereos. If if takes a burglar longer than 15 seconds, he or she probably will not get in.

You can keep your house safe and discourage burglars from approaching your home in the first place if you trim shrubs away from windows and doors, and install motion-activated lights near all points of entry – especially those not visible to neighbors and passers-by.

Digital door locks, like those on high-end autos, are now an option for homes. The advantage is you don’t need a key – just punch the code.

The best burglar-resistant doors are solid wood or metal rather than hollow-core. It’s safer to use a peephole (rather than a sliding-chain lock) to see who’s outside. One option to consider is installing an exterior video camera with an interior receiver.

An alarm system, too, may be worthwhile if you own expensive antiques, silver, jewelry or electronic equipment. The best alarm systems, rather than sounding an alarm that only the neighbors hear, are hooked up to a central security control. These have a staff who will respond around the clock.

Sophisticated systems detect whether the alarm is from a fire or a burglary, and even what part of the house was affected. If you’re a security-conscious homeowner and want to keep your house safe, you’ll want to follow these guidelines:

Door frames and doors should be strong enough to prevent forcing; hinges should be on the inside, not outside.

No windows in doors, or at least none within 40 inches of the locks (so the glass can’t be broken and the lock turned).

All entrances are lighted, and the front entrance can be seen from the street.

Sliding-glass doors are secured so they cannot be lifted out of their tracks.

All doors and windows have adequate locks, and no doors or windows are inviting to burglars.

Ladders are not kept outside the house where they might be accessible.

The electric garage door can be deactivated when you are on vacation.

By learning and practicing simple home protection hints residents can keep their homes from falling victim to a burglary. A few simple precautionary steps can reduce the possibility of burglars selecting your house as their target next time you are away.

Here is how to prevent burglaries when you are away

Don’t give the burglar the tools to do his job. Keep ladders and tools where they belong – out of sight.

Turn your telephone bell down to its lowest level, since a ringing telephone is an indication that you are not at home.

Never leave notes indicating that you are not home or when you will return and don’t leave door keys under flower pots or door mats, inside an unlocked mailbox, over the doorway or in other obvious places.

Where possible, the police suggest installing a mail slot in the front door of a home to eliminate the necessity of having the post office hold your mail. They also suggest use of enough electric timers for lights and radios to create a normal lighting pattern. Use a timer and a radio tuned to a talk show or news station to create the impression of a conversation.

Because a closed house on a hot day is a dead giveaway, police say you should set the thermostat on a low setting if you’re vacationing in the summer because a functioning air conditioner helps provide the lived-in look. On this point, they also remind homeowners that empty garbage cans when others in the neighborhood are full is a tip to the burglar that no one is home.

Put the cans in the basement or storage shed or ask a neighbor to use them occasionally.
Another tip is not to leave all the blinds and shades in one position. Study the position of the blinds and shades when you are home and leave them that way when you are away.

In a nutshell, give your house a lived-in look. If you vacation in the summertime, arrange to have your lawn cut regularly. If you travel in the winter, make arrangements to have your walks shoveled if it should snow.

Asking a trusted neighbor to watch your home in your absence is another tip. If they have a second car, ask them to park it in your driveway. Alert neighbors scare away more burglars than police patrols.