Home Security Inspection

Our homes are one of our most valuable assets and therefore home security updates should be conducted annually. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) provides suggestions that you can implement to improve the safety features of your home.

Here are some basic tips:

  • Make sure your address is clearly marked. Curb painting can be covered by a parked vehicle.
  • Pathways to your home should be clear of growth and debris allowing you to have a good view of who may be approaching your home.
  • All entries and exits should be well lit for visibility. Motion detector lights save energy since they turn on when triggered.
  • All doors should be locked at all times, even when you are home. This gives you time to react if someone attempts to force entry.
  • Exterior doors should be solid core, hardwood or metal-clad. Avoid large windows in doors. If you do have a window in the door, make sure to use a double deadbolt to secure it.
  • Doors leading from an attached garage to a house should be protected by quality keyed deadbolts as well as reinforced metal striker plates with at least 2” screws in the door frame.
  • Peepholes at a height that everyone can use are a great tool.
  • Sliding glass doors must have more than one device to secure them. A rod bolt pin in the frame and track can be used to prevent the door from being lifted off the track.
  • Every window in the house should have a working key lock, dowel rod, security pin, or secondary locking device to secure the window.
  • If you have a key rack, ensure it is well hidden out of plain sight.
  • Spare keys should be kept by trusted friends or neighbors, not under doormats or planters.
  • Valuable items should be inventoried and inscribed with identifying marks using the Operation Identification program. Your home inventory should be up-to-date and include pictures of your home interior and furnishings. This can be used by your insurance company or the police. The inventory listing should be secured in an accessible and safe location.
  • Firearms should be stored unloaded and locked in storage boxes away from children.
  • Overhead garage doors should have locks so they do not rely solely on automatic door openers for security.
  • Gates and sheds must be locked with hardened high security pad locks.

Security cameras are an additional layer of protection that may deter some criminals. Photographic and video evidence can be used by police investigators to identify suspect(s) and or for prosecution purposes.

Join a Neighborhood Watch network in your area and watch out for suspicious activities or strangers lurking around neighbors’ homes, yards, and garages.

For more information on securing your home, contact the Community Liaison Division at CrimePrevention@ggcity.org or call (714) 741-5761 or (714) 741-5762.

Resources:
National Crime Prevention Council https://www.ncpc.org/