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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.
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.
Safety on the Road
If your car breaks down:
- Pull to the side of the road and turn on your hazard lights.
- Keep a white cloth in your trunk to hang out of the driver's window; this symbolizes that your vehicle is disabled and that you need help.
- Remain in the vehicle with the windows closed and the doors locked.
- If someone other than a law enforcement officer stops to offer assistance, crack the window and ask them to call the police for you. If you feel threatened, blow the horn non-stop to alert passersby.
Safety in Parking Lots
- Park in highly visible lots where there is a lot of activity.
- Pick a well-lighted area to leave your vehicle.
- Always lock your doors-even if you are only going to be gone a few minutes.
- Don't leave anything visible inside your vehicle-even something as simple as spare change.
- If you think that someone is following you, don't stop at your car. Keep walking and try to find help.
- Before you open your door, inspect the back seat of your vehicle to insure that nobody is hiding inside.
Safety at the ATM
- Choose an ATM that is in a well-lighted area
- If you need to use an ATM after dark, ask a friend to accompany you
- Don't initiate a transaction if there is anyone around that you find suspicious
- Put away your cash, card, and receipt before leaving the ATM machine
Safety on Vacation
- If you are going to be away for an extended period of time, consider hiring a "house sitter".
- Do not publicize the fact that you are going on vacation.
- Put lights and a radio on timers.
- Keep shrubbery from blocking the view of doors and windows.
- Burn an outside light all night, not just when you go away.
- Lock garbage cans in a storage room, or have someone share their garbage with you while you are gone.
- Leave window coverings as they normally would be.
- Do not stop deliveries! Have a neighbor pick them up for you, as well as circulars that accumulate by the front door.
- Make arrangements to have your lawn cut while you are away.
- Turn your telephone ringer down to low or turn on the answering machine.
- Lock all doors (including garage doors), windows and screens before leaving.
- Store items such as lawn furniture, garden tools and hanging baskets in a secure area of your residence.
- Ask neighbors to look out for your residence while you are away. Tell them which lights will be left on.
- Consider asking a neighbor to park a vehicle in your driveway during your absence.
- Leave a phone number with a neighbor where you can be contacted in case of an emergency.
- Call the Frankfort Police Department or the Emergency Dispatch Center at 875-8582 and request a vacation residence check. For additional information call our Crime Prevention Officer at 502-875-8523.