5 Great Home Security Tips from Police in Takoma Park, MD

Most alarm companies offer tips on home security, and FrontPoint is no exception (although we think ours are better!). In fact, our Top 10 Home Security Tips is one of our most viewed blog posts. But now and then I see home safety tips from law enforcement professionals – and pay special attention to them. Sometimes I even share them, as in this case, when they are particularly helpful. This list of recommendations from the police in Takoma Park, Maryland, and is a nice follow up to my previous post on National Crime Prevention Month.

This month is National Crime Prevention Month and the Takoma Park Police are taking the time to give residents tips on how to prevent crime in the city. This week the department tackles home security.

• Quick Fact #1:  The greatest crime of opportunity is burglary.
• Quick Fact #2:  More than 50% of burglaries committed do not involve forced entry.
• Quick Fact #3:  When a burglar forces entry, it is typically through a rear or side door or window, where he is less likely to be visible.

Well, I certainly agree with the first one – it’s the one type of crime that has been rising while other crimes are in decline across the US. As for the second Quick Fact, it’s a sad truth that we are not disciplined about basic security precautions. And on the third point, security professionals are all too aware of where burglars enter. FrontPoint even offers a great post on the topic of how burglars get in.

Now for the 5 Tips

The most cost-effective and successful way to safeguard your home is to follow good security habits.  These include:

1. Locking and securing your windows and doors, especially when no one is home.
2. Drawing your blinds so burglars cannot “window shop."
3. Securing gates and fences, which is one more obstacle a burglar would have to consider when choosing a home to burglarize.
4. Trimming shrubs and bushes so your home is more visible to the street, because burglars do not want to be seen.
5. Utilizing and arming an alarm system if you have one installed. And if you don't have an alarm system, now is the time! It's never been easier or more affordable to get reliable, cellular home protection.

Questions to Ask Your Police Department

The Takoma Park Police Department offers a number of free services to help increase your sense of security and peace of mind. You may want to ask your police department what services they offer. Here are three good examples.

• Residential Security Surveys:  An assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of security measures of a residence (fences, doors, lighting, etc.). An officer will go to your house, assess the security of the home, and provide cost-effective solutions for observed weaknesses.
• House Checks:  Service provided for those who will have their home unoccupied for an extended period of time (vacation, renovations, etc.). Your residence will be visited two times a day by a patrol officer, who makes sure your home is still secure.  You will be notified immediately of any discrepancies.
• Operation Identification:  Residents mark all their valuables with a specific identification number and write down all serial numbers of valuables to be kept by the police department.  Stickers are provided to participants to display on their home doors/windows to signify participation in the program, also making it less desirable for criminals to burglarize those residences.

We certainly hope the police will keep up their good work in preventing burglaries, and in bringing burglars to justice. The best alarm companies work closely with law enforcement to reduce false alarms and help spread the word about how you can deter burglars from targeting your home in the first place. FrontPoint is at the forefront of this effort, and we back up our recommendations with wireless home alarm systems that are safer, smarter, simpler, more affordable, and virtually impossible to defeat. Unlike most alarm companies, we specialize in safer cellular monitoring and smarter interactive services, including advanced video features and home automation – one more reason why we are recognized as the #1 ranked home alarm company in the US. Your police are there to serve and protect, and FrontPoint is right there with them.