Burglary Prevention Protecting your Home or Business

Exterior Doors

Many residential and business doors are hollow-core construction and poor locks, which are easily forced or kicked open. For additional protection, you need solid core doors and quality locks.

• Sliding Glass Doors - Many burglars enter homes or businesses through improperly secured sliding glass doors doors. Additional locks and security measures will prevent the door from being opened or lifted out of the track. Screws installed in the track above the sliding door frame will prevent the door from being lifted out of the track. Drill a pilot hole in the top track above, and slightly in, from each corner of the sliding doorframe section and install a screw into each hole. Adjust the screws so that the head of the screw just barely clears the frame when it is moved back and forth.
• Double Doors - These doors need solid security as they are easily jimmied or forced open. Flush lever bolts installed at the top and bottom of the doors are recommended. Make sure the bolt is long, sturdy and mounted into a solid doorframe.
• Doors with Windows - Doors with glass windows or doors that have ornamental windows within 40 inches of the lock need extra security. There are many glass laminating materials available that will reinforce the glass so it is more difficult to break. There are also different styles of locks that will assist in areas like this.
• Garage Doors - Standard locks on garage doors are easily pried, allowing a burglar access to your home or business without detection. Cane bolts and hasps are excellent protection. Make certain each side of the garage door is secured to prevent prying open a crawl space. Any door leading from the garage into the house should be securely locked. The more barriers you provide against the burglar, the better protected you are.
• Hinges - Many homes and businesses have doors that open to the outside, exposing the hinge pins. Despite a good strong lock, the burglar can remove the pins and lift the door from the frame. To prevent this, remove two opposing screws from each leaf of the hinge. Screw a long lag bolt into the frame side of the hinge leaf and saw off the head leaving about 1/2 inch protruding. Drill out the opposite hole to allow the bolt to enter when the door is closed. Do this to the top and bottom hinge plates. The burglar can remove the hinge pins, but the door will remain firmly in place. This technique is good for any door, no matter how the hinges have been placed.
• Door Viewers - To avoid opening your door without knowing who is there, install a door viewer. This device has a wide-angle lens to let you see someone standing outside your door without opening it.

Latches/Locks

• Spring Latch - Some homes and businesses come equipped with this lock. It offers very little protection since the bolt can be slipped with a credit card or knife. This same lock, with a deadbolt latch, provides more protection, but it too can be forced open.
• Deadbolt Locks - A deadbolt lock can provide good protection. When you turn the key, the lock mechanism slides a strong metal bolt from the door into the frame. When you buy a deadbolt lock, make sure that the bolt extends at least one inch from the edge of the door, the connecting screws that hold the lock together are on the inside of the door, the strike plate is attached to the door frame with screws that measure at least three inches in length and that the cylinder has a steel guard around the key section. The cylinder guard should be tapered or rotate freely around the key section to prevent wrenching if it is twisted.
• Single Cylinder Deadbolt - A solid bolt, activated by a key from the outside or a knob on the inside, slides into the doorframe. The lock cannot be slipped or easily pried. Deadbolt locks are only as good as the door and frame they are installed in.
• Double Cylinder Deadbolt - This lock is basically the same as the single cylinder deadbolt, except that it requires a key to be used from either side to function.
• Rim Lock - This lock has either horizontal or vertical deadbolts. It cannot be easily slipped, pried or forced with a wrench. This lock, like all others, requires a strong mounting surface and hardware to be effective.
• Padlocks - When selecting padlocks to secure your garage door, storage shed, fence gate or toolbox, do not economize. Low-priced locks are made from low quality materials and easily pried open or cut with bolt cutters. Look for these features when purchasing a padlock:
  
  • Double locking shackle at the toe and heel
  • Hardened steel shackle, the larger the diameter the better
  • Five pin tumbler
  • Key retaining feature (prevents removal of the key when unlocked)
  • A strong steel hasp used with the padlock

Windows

• Sliding Windows - Sliding glass windows should be given the same security treatment as arcadia doors. Use the same supplementary locks or screws in the frame. Screws installed in the track above the sliding window frame will prevent the window from being lifted out of the track. Drill a pilot hole in the top track above each corner of the window frame and install a screw into each hole. Adjust the screws so that the head of the screw just barely clears the frame when it is moved back and forth.
• Casement - Crank Windows - These windows are easily secured. The latch should close properly with the window tight. With the latch in a closed position, drill a small hole through the latch frame and handle. Insert a metal pin through the hole to lock the window. For additional security, a small padlock can be used in place of the pin. Key operated replacement latches are also available from a locksmith or hardware store. Keep the key handy in case of emergency.
• Double Hung Windows - An easy, inexpensive way to secure your windows is to use the "pin" trick. Drill an angled hole through the top frame of the lower window partially into the frame of the upper window. Then insert the pin (a nail or an eyebolt that is slightly smaller in diameter than the hole). The window can't be opened until you remove the pin. Make a second set of holes with windows partially open so you can have ventilation without inviting intruders.

Education

Education is the key to keeping your home or business safe. Know what is going on in your neighborhood and in your community. Our website allows you to check on recent crimes in the town and possibly in your neighborhood. Above all else, if you see something suspicious, call the police. It may not seem important to you but if you think it appears suspicious or unusual MAKE THE CALL. Emergency: 911/ Non-Emergency 703-771-4564.

For further information contact:
Officer C.F.Tidmore
Crime Prevention Officer
703-771-4564