Safety Tips

If you are concerned about your personal safety, the safety of your family or your belongings, here are some tips to help you reduce the chances of victimization.

  1. At Home
  2. On the Road
  3. At the ATM
  4. Vacation

Safety At Home

  • Trim shrubbery so it does not block windows or doors and insure that your home has adequate lighting at after dark.
  • Leave a spare key with a neighbor or relative instead of keeping it outside. If you choose to place a key outside, insure that it is not kept in an obvious place, such as under a nearby flowerpot.
  • Use timers on lights, radios, and television sets to give the impression that someone is home when the house is unoccupied. Timers with a built-in random time function to vary the time that lights, etc. are turned on are best for accomplishing this task.
  • Change all of the old locks immediately after moving into a new home to eliminate the possibility of someone using any old keys that have been lost.
  • Insure that all ground-floor windows and doors have secure dead-bolt locks.
  • Before leaving home, insure that your garage door is completely closed. If an interior door connects the garage to your home, insure that the door is also locked.
  • Keep upstairs windows locked if someone could climb a nearby tree to gain access to a second-floor window. An alternative solution is to prune any large trees to keep limbs away from the house.
  • Empty boxes from newly purchased electronic equipment are inviting signs to opportunistic thieves when left outside.
  • Local community watch programs help to reduce your chances of being victimized. The police department can provide information on how to establish a community watch program. If your community already has an established program, active participation will help the entire community.