Volume 2, No. 41 October 25, 2002
Tips for safeguarding the home By Gene Friedman Everyone’s home is his or her castle. However, our castles nowadays do not come with a moat and drawbridge, making home security that much harder to achieve. An evaluation of home security, though, is not that complicated if you are aware of some minimum requirements. Exterior lighting is the cheapest insurance for the safety of your home. It should illuminate all entrances and should be used consistently. If it is used only when you are out of the house or on vacation, you are signaling burglars that you are not at home. Shrubbery should be trimmed so that a burglar can’t conceal himself near your window or doors. Hedges should be trimmed down to a height of three feet while trees should be trimmed up from the bottom by at least two feet. Tree canopies should also be at least five feet from the ground. Landscaping can also be used to deny access to your property. Plant a "living fence" to keep strangers away from your windows. This fence should be a holly bush or similar plant with spikes or thorns. All exterior doors, including the garage door, should be closed and locked at all times. Exterior doors should be of solid core construction, including the door between the house and garage. The front door should also have a viewer (peephole) that provides a 180-degree field of view. Be sure to use this viewer before opening the door to a stranger. If a repair or delivery person is at your door, demand identification from them before opening the door and use the viewer to check ID. If in doubt, contact their employer to verify their status. Sliding glass doors should have auxiliary locks/pins to ensure that they cannot be opened or lifted off the track. Locks on exterior doors should have a deadbolt with a minimum one-inch throw so that the bolt seats securely into the doorframe. If the lock is next to a window, it should be a double cylinder type — key-operated from both inside and outside. Windows should likewise be secured with locks to prevent them from being opened, or equipped with pins so that they can’t be opened enough to allow someone to squeeze through. Valuable possessions should be marked with your personal identification. Electric marking pens are available from the residence life office or SPD. Anything that can be equated to you to verify your ownership, except your social security number, should be used. The campus safety department is available to provide additional information for safeguarding your home and property. The Savannah Police Department can also offer assistance through the crime prevention officers stationed in each precinct. Friedman is the director of campus safety. The Miami-Dade Police Department contributed to this article.
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