Crime Prevention Tips

If you can eliminate the criminal’s means or opportunity, you can reduce your chances of being victimized. 

We encourage you to make a record of your valuables. Should your valuables ever be stolen or lost, this record will help police investigate the crime and possibly recover your items. This record is also helpful for insurance purposes. 

Other Helpful Tips:

• Ensure all windows and doors are locked. Use a heavy-duty deadbolt with a 1" or greater throw. Install vertical bolts to prevent sliding glass doors from being taken off the track. Place a metal rod or similar object in the track of the sliding glass door to prevent it from being opened.
• Use adequate exterior lighting. The use of motion activated lights are encouraged. Ensure entrances are well lit. Landscape lighting may also deter criminal activity while adding beauty to your home.
• Trim trees and shrubs near your home. Excessive landscape, trees, and shrubs near the home may provide hiding places for burglars and "peeping toms". If you choose to have shrubbery near the home, attempt to plant trees and or bushes that have many thorns, under and around lower story windows.
• Make the home appear as if someone is there when you are away. Keep the radio, television, or lights on. Use timers on your lights when away at night or on vacation.
• During the winter months, make your home appear as if it is occupied everyday.
• Lock all vehicles kept outside the home. Don’t leave garage remotes in vehicles parked outside your home.
• Consider installing an alarm system.
• If you need to ventilate your home, open windows which are extremely difficult to access from the outside (second-story windows).
• Install a peephole on the front door and use it. Don’t open the door to anyone you do not know. If the person claims to be a repair/sales/service person, ask for their company’s phone number and call to verify. Check their identification. If in doubt, trust your "sixth sense"! Tell the person to come back later when other people are with you in the home.
• If the unknown person at your front door is claiming an emergency or dire circumstance, don’t open the door. Tell them you will call "911" while they wait outside.
• Get to know your neighbors. Be aware of your surroundings. Get involved in your community!
• When on vacation, cancel any newspaper subscriptions. Have mail forwarded to the vacation address or held at the post office. Try to have family, friends, or neighbors watch the property.
• If you arrive at home and see your front door or windows open, or see other signs of forced entry into your home, don’t go in! The intruder may be waiting for you inside. Immediately find the nearest phone and call the police (911).

If you would like one of our officers certified in crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) to assess your home or property to ensure property security, please contact Sgt. Diakos or Officer Cassidy at (904) 247-5859.  

For additional crime prevention information, visit the National Crime Prevention Council.