Sample Resources for Home Security

Home Security Checklist
Burglars, like most people, follow the path of least resistance when going about their work. The first step in protecting your home against break-ins is to identify the features of your home that may make it an attractive target for burglars. Start your security inspection at your front door, and proceed through your home, inspecting all doors, windows, locks, and lights. Don't forget to examine the landscaping. Answer all the questions to determine your vulnerability to burglary and theft. This handy checklist asks you the questions you need to address in order to make sure your home is secure.

Burglarproof Your Home by No Nonsense Self-Defense
Tips from police on home security, including providing layered defense for your home. A good example of a layered defense is rosebushes outside the window, double-locked, barred and safety coated side windows and something difficult to climb over inside under the window. Stand outside the windows and look in, make sure no valuables, like expensive electronics or artwork, are visible. If you can see your belongings doing this, so can criminals. A common combination of cheap locks and small construction flaws, that we tend not to notice, often give criminals the "cracks" in security they need to break in. Look at the gap between your door and your door frame from the inside - can you see the lock's tongue? All it takes is a flip of the criminal's wrist while holding a screwdriver while on the outside to break away the thin doorjamb molding and expose that same gap. From there, it is another simple wrist gesture to jimmy the tongue out of the faceplate. Put "window stops" on the first floor and basement window frames. These often functionally amount to secondary and tertiary locks. The best kind are those that go through a moveable frame and lock it into place. Something as simple as drilling a hole through both frames when the window is closed and placing a nail in the hole will lock the windows in place.

30 Ways to Protect Your Home
This site from the Chattanooga Police Department could help save you and your family from the devastating lifelong trauma of a break-in. This site has a total of 30 tips, including tips for homeowners, tips for apartment dwellers, and even tips for what to do if you are burglarized. First, keep doors and windows locked, even if you only plan to be away for a few minutes. Most burglars can be in and out of your home in less than five minutes. Have new locks installed whenever you move into a new apartment or house; otherwise, there's no way of knowing who might have a key to your home. Remember to have dead bolts installed. Never hide a key under a flowerpot or anywhere else outside; crooks can find a hidden key in a matter of moments. Use a peephole in a door rather than open the door, even during the day, if you're not certain who is on the other side. Never tell a wrong number what your phone number is. Instead, ask them what number they intended to dial. Don't leave you house key with parking attendants, it is too easy for them to make a duplicate. These are just a few of the many tips this site has to keep your home or your apartment safe from crooks.

Security Tips for Everyone
This is an extensive article, covering many aspects of personal safety, from safety on campus, to safety when driving and so on. Scroll down the page to HOME SAFETY for tips on home security. These bulleted tips are easy to read and helpful. Tips include always locking doors and windows, even when you only plan to be gone a short while. Don't hide spare keys on your property; professional thieves know all the hiding places. Make sure all exterior doors are solid core construction and equipped with a minimum of one-inch dead bolts. Replace the small screws that come with your door lock strike plates with screws at least 3 inches long. Put screws into the top part of a sliding glass door frame with the screw protruding out of the frame by 1/8 to 1/5 of an inch. This will not interfere with the sliding of the door but will prevent a thief from lifting the door out of its track. Use timer lights when you are away, and make sure newspapers and mail do not pile up. These are just a few of the many pieces of helpful advice on this article.