Safety Tips

Safety Tips...

Your safety and security is the main concern of the Monroe Police Department. Below are a few tips to help make you more secure in your home and during your travels.

Home Security

Check the locks
-Did you know that in almost half of all completed residential burglaries, thieves simply breezed in through unlocked doors or crawled through unlocked windows?

-Make sure every external door has a sturdy, well-installed dead bolt lock. Key-in-the-knob locks alone are not enough.

-Sliding glass doors can offer easy access if they are not properly secured. You can secure them by installing commercially available locks or putting a broomstick or dowel in the inside track to jam the door. To prevent the door being lifted off the track, drill a hole through the slide door frame and the fixed frame. Then insert a pin in the hole.

-Lock double-hung windows with key locks or "pin" your windows by drilling a small hole into a 45 degree angle between the inner and outer frames, then insert a nail that can be removed. Secure basement windows with grilles or grates.

-Instead of hiding keys around the outside of your home, give an extra key to a neighbor you trust.

-When you move into a new house or apartment, re-key the locks.

Check the doors
-A lock on a flimsy door is about as effective as locking your car door but leaving the window down.

-All outside doors should be metal or solid wood.

-If your doors don't fit tightly in their frames, install weather stripping around them.

-Install a peephole or wide angle viewer in all entry doors so you can see who is outside without opening the door. Door chains break easily and don't keep out intruders.

Check the outside
-Look at your house from the outside. Make sure you know the following tips.

-Thieves hate bright lights. Install outside lights and keep them on at night.

-Keep your yard clean. Prune back shrubbery so it doesn't hide doors or windows. Cut back tree limbs that a thief could use to climb to an upper-level window.

-If you travel, create the illusion that you're at home by getting some timers that will turn lights on and off in different areas of your house throughout the evening. Lights burning 24 hours a day signal an empty house.

-Leave shades, blinds, and curtains in normal positions. And don't let your mail pile up! Call the post office to stop delivery or have a neighbor pick it up.

-Make a list of your valuables - VCRs, stereos, computers, jewelry. Take photos of the items, list their serial numbers and description. Check with law enforcement about engraving your valuables.

There's More You Can Do
-Join a Neighborhood Watch group. If one doesn't exist, you can start one with help from local law enforcement.

-Never leave a message on your answering machine that indicates you may be away from home now, say "I'm not available right now."

-Work with neighbors and local government to organize community clean-ups. The cleaner your neighborhood, the less attractive it is to crime.

-Report suspicious persons and vehicles in your neighborhood to the police.

Travel Security

Before you leave
-Keep shades and blinds in their normal positions.

-Stop mail and newspapers, or ask a neighbor to pick them up every day.

-Put several household lights on timers so they turn on and off at appropriate times.

-Arrange to have grass mowed (or snow shoveled) while you're gone.

-Make sure all your door and window locks are in working order and use them.

-Activate your home alarm (if you have one).

-Contact the Monroe Police Department for house checks while you are on vacation. (692-6215)

-You might even leave a radio on - or put it on a timer. Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway overnight - anything that might suggest someone's home. And don't forget to lock all doors and windows when you leave.

Packing your bags
-Clean out your wallet or purse before you go; take only essential credit cards. Plan to use credit cards or traveler's checks instead of cash whenever possible.

-Carry your purse close to your body, or wallet in an inside front pocket. Better yet, take a "fanny pack" or wear a money pouch under your clothes.

-Pack as lightly as possible. Lots of heavy, cumbersome bags will slow you down and make you more vulnerable to getting robbed.

-Expensive, designer luggage can draw unneeded attention to your belongings. Pack your things in inconspicuous bags.

-Keep a separate record of the contents of checked luggage. And keep anything of value such as medicine and jewelry in a carry-on that stays with you.

-If you are going on an extended vacation, consider shipping large bags to your destination in advance. For the return trip, mail bulky new purchases home, or ask merchants to do it for you.

Out and About
-The best advice for you and your family is to do all you can to blend in with the crowd.

-Don't display expensive jewelry, cameras, bags, and other items that might draw attention.

-Check maps before you go out so you can tour confidently.

-Stick to well-lighted, well-traveled streets at all times - no shortcuts.

-Always lock your car when it's parked, even if the stop is brief. Keep valuables out of sight, preferably locked in the trunk. Don't advertise that you're a tourist by leaving maps and guidebooks on the seat or dashboard - keep them in the glove compartment.