The Memphis Police Department can list over 20 ways for you to protect your home. Consider these crime prevention tips for peace of mind:
- Lock your doors and windows when leaving your residence. Most residential burglaries occur during the daytime.
- Know who is at your door before opening it. Screen doors and chain locks provide false security. Obtain identification. If they show you an ID for a service company (i.e. Cable, phone, etc.), call their employer and verify who they are and why they are at your door. Consider installing peepholes in all entryway doors.
- Mark your property with your Driver’s License number, that way it can be traced ONLY to you if it is stolen. You can borrow an engraver from any one of our stations!
- Make your home look occupied, and make it difficult to break in.
- Lock all outside doors and windows before you leave the house or go to bed. Even if it is for a short time, lock your doors.
- Leave lights on when you go out. If you are going to be away for a length of time, connect some lamps to automatic timers to turn them on in the evening and off during the day.
- Keep your garage door closed and locked.
- Don’t allow daily deliveries of mail, newspapers or flyers build up while you are away. Arrange with the Post Office to hold your mail, or arrange for a friend or neighbor to take them regularly.
- Arrange for your lawn to be mowed if you are going away for an extended time.
- Check your locks on doors and windows and replace them with secure devices as necessary.
- Install deadbolt locks on all your outside doors. Pushbutton locks on doorknobs are easy for burglars to open.
- Sliding glass doors are vulnerable. Special locks are available for better security.
- Other windows may need better locks. Check with a locksmith or hardware store for alternatives.
- Never leave keys under doormats, flowerpots, mailboxes or other “secret” hiding places — burglars know where to look for hidden keys.
- Keep a detailed inventory of your valuable possessions, including a description of the items, date of purchase and original value, and serial numbers, and keep a copy in a safe place away from home — this is a good precaution in case of fires or other disasters. Make a photographic or video record of valuable objects, heirlooms and antiques. Your insurance company can provide assistance in making and keeping your inventory.
- Trim your shrubbery around your home to reduce cover for burglars.
- Be a good neighbor. If you notice anything suspicious in your neighborhood, call 911 immediately.
- Mark your valuables with your driver’s license number with an engraver you can borrow from any of our stations. Marked items are harder for a burglar to dispose of and easier for police to recover.
- Form a Neighborhood Watch Group. We can help you work with your neighbors to improve security and reduce risk of burglary. Consult this resource on how to start a neighborhood watch group, provided by the National Crime Prevention Council:
VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PDF - Consider installing a burglar alarm system.
- Most importantly, remember the three L’s of Crime Prevention: LIGHTS, LOCKS & the LAW! Light up your residence, lock your doors at all times and call the Law when you see something suspicious.
