Here`s

Transcription

Here`s

Common Sense
Security Recommendations
For Your Home
Larry Niemann served for 38 years as legal
counsel for the Texas Apartment Association and
for many years as legal counsel for the Texas
Chapter of Community Associations Institute.
Although retired, he is “of counsel” in the Austin,
Texas law firm of Niemann & Heyer.
Table of Contents
NOTE: At the end of this article beginning on page 27 is an index to all subjects covered throughout the article.
The index refers to paragraph numbers rather than page numbers.
section/paragraph number
page number
Overview
4
Essential Security Devices
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Keyless deadbolt on each exterior door; and chain latch addition
Single-cylinder deadbolt on each exterior door
Sliding glass door security pins on each sliding glass door
Sliding glass door security bar on each sliding glass door
Peephole (doorviewer) on each exterior door
Peephole on door from garage into the house
Window latch on each window
Doorframe pins for any exterior door swinging out
Backplates and strikeplates for any exterior door swinging out
AVOID double-cylinder deadbolts on exterior entry doors
AVOID lockable doorknobs on exterior entry doors
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
7
7
8
9
Additional Security Devices to Help Keep the Burglars Away
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
Non-monitored security alarms
Monitored security alarms (fake)
Monitored security alarms (real)
Glass break alarms
Exterior security cameras (real or fake)
Security system yard signs and decals (real or fake)
Security system “arm/disarm” notices (real or fake) above door locks
Exterior gate locks
Nighttime lighting operated by photocells
Motion sensors for exterior and interior lighting
Barking dog alarms
Security bars and threshold surface-bolts for swinging (hinged) doors
Protect against entry via ventilation windows
Protect against entry via dog-and-cat doors
Overhead garage door openers
Lake or river adjacent to your property
House keys
“No Solicitors” sign
Protecting outside telephone cables
9
9
9
10
10
10
11
11
11
11
12
12
12
13
13
13
13
14
14
14
A Variety of Safes
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
15
Small key safes mounted outside
Key cabinet mounted inside the house for storage of multiple or spare keys
High-security safes
Minimum-security safes
Pistol safes
Diversion safes
15
15
15
16
16
16
Additional Security Protection for Small Children
37. “Grandparent” door lock protection for toddlers
38. Keyed locks for cabinets and drawers
39. Non-keyed childproof latches for cabinets and drawers
16
16
17
17
Other Important Safety Protections for You & Your Family
40. Statutorily-required safety standards for homeowner association swimming and wading pools
41. Common law or city-required safety standards for any pool (including home pools)
Common Sense Security Recommendations for Your Home
17
17
17
2
section/paragraph number
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
page number
“Turtle” wrist-band alarm system for toddlers near private home pools
Smoke alarms and “rate-of-rise” heat detectors. You need to have both in your home
Beware of burglar bars on windows
When renting out your dwelling
If you have a home or rental dwelling in another state
Knox-Boxes: A really good idea for fire, police, and medical emergencies
18
18
19
19
19
20
Creating the Illusion that Someone is at Home
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
Have the mail, newspapers, flyers and packages brought in while you’re gone
Have your garbage cans brought in while you are gone
Leave a spare car in the driveway.
Leave the curtains open or closed?
Use timers for lamps, radios and TVs
Avoid mistakes when utilizing answering machines and call forwarding
22
22
22
22
22
22
22
Security Procedures While You’re at Home
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
Keep entry doors secure day and night
Use caution when answering the door
Keep house windows latched or install security nails
Keep vehicles locked, with windows rolled up
Don’t leave valuables visible in vehicles or carports
Keep garage overhead doors closed as much as possible
Protect the remote control(s) for your garage overhead door from theft
Keep it out of sight
Keep vegetation trimmed back from windows
Be wary of putting your name on mailboxes, doormats or gates
Re-key if necessary
Keep a personal alarm and cell phone handy at night
23
23
23
23
23
23
23
23
24
24
24
24
24
Crime-related Communication
66. Report to police
67. Communicate with neighbors
68. Sign up for SpotCrime.com
25
25
25
25
Some Final Thoughts
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
Priority if funds are limited
Smart burglars who case your home from the inside
Illusions as second line of defense
Vacation or second homes
Home improvement stores and the Internet
Homeowner and condominium associations
Insurance premium savings
Insurance claims after a burglary
Gift to your children and grandchildren
You are your primary protector
25
25
25
26
26
26
26
26
26
26
27
SUBJECT INDEX
28
3
Overview
Many, if not most, thieves and burglars have scoped
their target homes from the outside to determine how
quickly they can overcome any security protections
and get in and out without being caught. Some of
them may have even been inside the home as repairmen, service personnel, construction workers, delivery
people, former household help, etc. If they observe
that your home is a tougher case than normal, they are
more likely to go elsewhere to a less-protected home.
Therefore, the more crime prevention measures you
implement, the greater likelihood the criminals will steer
clear of your home.
This memo recommends a number of SECURITY
DEVICES, most of which can be purchased at home
improvement stores. Some devices, however, are
available only via the Internet. Key phrases for finding
them on the Internet are in the memo. Nearly all are
easy to install, and most are quite inexpensive, with
their typical costs being shown in parentheses throughout the memo. The memo also recommends SECURITY PROCEDURES, those creating an illusion that
someone is at home when no one is. The recommendations are based on the author’s years of experience
in the residential security arena.1
All of the security recommendations in the memo are
logical extensions of the axiom that anything making
it harder, longer, noisier, or more worrisome for the
burglar to enter will better protect you. The first eleven
recommendations, plus the smoke alarm and pool
yard recommendations, are by far the most important
ones for security and safety. Many of the devices are
required by law—either by statute or the common law
of due care. The memo has many more recommendations; and the more you utilize, the safer your home
and family will be…and the more peace of mind you
will have.
1 Copyright 2012, Larry Niemann. The author served
for 38 years as legal counsel for the Texas Apartment
Association and for many years as legal counsel for the
Texas Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (the
national association of homeowner associations, condominium associations, and other property owner associations).
During those years, he taught classes on residential security
to owners and managers in those associations all across the
state. He has no relationship with any manufacturer, retailer,
or security company, anywhere. Although retired, he is “of
counsel” in the Austin, Texas law firm of Niemann & Heyer.
This article may be reproduced or distributed electronically
or via hard copy without permission from the author if it is
given away unchanged and without charge or profit.
The extensive detail in the memo has proven helpful
for homeowners: (i) to save a lot of time and money in
maximizing security, (ii) to avoid making big mistakes
or purchasing inferior products, (iii) to understand the
reasons behind the recommendations on what to do
and what not to do, and (iv) to arm homeowners with
information to avoid falling prey to bad advice from
many uninformed workmen and quasi-experts on security. Quite often, small details are often the difference
between success and tragedy.
Each homeowner is primarily responsible for assuring
that appropriate security/safety devices and procedures have been implemented is his own home. The
security of everyone’s home in a neighborhood can be
increased if all the homeowners become more security
and safety conscious and implement the most critical
recommendations in the memo. The Internet is a powerful tool to help accomplish those purposes.
The recommendations in the memo apply equally as
well to apartments, condos, duplexes, and homes that
are rented to tenants. Landlords of those dwellings
have a statutory duty to install certain security devices,
smoke alarms, and pool yard enclosures under Texas
law; and tenants have a right to require compliance.
Such mandates are very important to protect against
human tragedy and property loss. A landlord’s compliance with such requirements will go far to protect him
from potential high-dollar lawsuit liability if the worst
were to happen and the tenants claim insufficient security or safety measures were the cause.
Essential Security Devices
1. Keyless deadbolt on each exterior
door; and chain latch addition
You need to have a keyless deadbolt lock on every
hinged exterior door of your home.
HOW THEY WORK: A keyless deadbolt is one that is
operated by a lever on the
inside of a hinged (swinging) door, with nothing
visible from the outside
($25.00). The “deadbolt” is
the blunt-ended bolt that
moves into the doorjamb
when you turn the lever.
The bolt penetrates one
inch deep into the doorjamb
to help protect the door from
being bashed in. The
deadbolt cannot be jimmied
open from the outside with a
knife or credit card. A
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keyless deadbolt should be installed 36 to 48 inches
above the floor. No law prevents installation of a
second keyless deadbolt at a lower height.
IMPORTANCE: When a keyless deadbolt is engaged,
the only way to get through the door is to bust it down
with strong kicks or a hand-held battering ram. Therefore, a keyless deadbolt is always the best lock to use
at night when sleeping—with one important exception:
If a person will be at home alone and is vulnerable to
heart attacks, falling, or mobility limitations, consider
also installing an old-fashioned chain latch ($5.00) that
such person can use in lieu of a keyless deadbolt. A
chain latch allows the door
to be partially opened with a
key by EMS, fire fighters,
family, or neighbors…and
they can then cut the chain
to rescue a person inside
who has become helpless.
Otherwise, they’ll be delayed and will have to bust
through the door or window. Chain latches allow you to
securely open the door part way to easily talk to
whoever has come to your door. Seldom-used chain
latches can be unobtrusively installed near the bottom
of the door. The Achilles heel of a chain latch is often
the short screws used to attach the male (chain) part of
the chain latch to the doorframe. Typical screws
coming with store-bought chain latches don’t grab deep
enough to slow down a strong kick or hand-held
battering ram. So you may want to consider using
screws long enough to reach the stud behind the
doorframe. Chain latches are available at all home
improvement stores.
above the floor. No law prevents a second single-cylinder deadbolt from being installed at a lower level if the
door has glass windowpanes. The second deadbolt
can prevent the door from being vulnerable to a burglar
breaking the glass and reaching in to unlock the door.
IMPORTANCE: A single-cylinder deadbolt and a
keyless deadbolt, together, make a door even more
resistant to being bashed in by burglars or police. This
is because the deadbolt protrudes one inch in the
doorframe (unlike the half-inch latchbolt of a lockable
doorknob). They are available at all home improvement stores.
3. Sliding glass door security pins on
each sliding glass door
On each set of sliding glass doors, you need to have a
sliding door security pin ($2.00).
HOW THEY WORK: A “sliding door security pin” is a
short rod on a chain, attached to the sliding panel
where it overlaps the fixed panel. The pin goes through
2. Single-cylinder deadbolt on each
exterior door
You need to have a single-cylinder deadbolt lock on
every exterior door of your home.
HOW THEY WORK: A single-cylinder deadbolt lock
has a deadbolt that is
operated by a key on the
exterior side of a hinged
door and by a lever on the
interior side the door
($35.00). It has a “deadbolt”
that moves into the doorjamb by turning the lever on
the inside of the house. It
cannot be jimmied open
from the outside with a knife
or credit card. A singlecylinder deadbolt should be
installed 36 to 48 inches
the frame of the sliding panel and into the frame of the
fixed panel, preventing the slider from opening. A
security pin should be installed no higher than 48
inches above the floor; but it may be installed lower.
Some people install a second security pin higher to get
them out of reach of 3-or-4-year-olds in order to keep
them corralled during the day when adults are around.
There is no statutory prohibition against a second,
higher security pin; but care should be taken to disengage the higher pin at nigh time so a child of that age
could escape from a fire at night.
IMPORTANCE: The pin prevents a burglar from
prying the sliding glass door up and off its track with
a crowbar. A pinlock is especially important in keeping toddlers and small children from escaping, day or
night. When installing a pinlock, consider cutting off
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the pin short enough so that the head of the pin is
flush with the doorframe of the sliding glass door.
The enables you to easily see from a distance that it
is fully engaged. Some sliding glass doors come with
footlatches that serve the same function as a security
pin, but footlatches are usually more cumbersome to
operate and more difficult to verify from a distance
that they are engaged. A sliding door security pin
should be installed four feet up from the floor.2
Caveat: If you use a big nail in lieu of a security pin
chained to the door, it is nearly certain that the nail
will eventually be misplaced by someone…possibly
resulting in serious impairment or total lack of security
until another nail is found. Brand new sliding glass
doors usually come with a non-keyed doorhandle
latch but never with a security pin. A doorhandle latch
offers only minimal protection against forced entry
because the latch doesn’t always prevent the door
from being pried up and off the track with a crowbar.
This is true regardless of whether the latch is lockable
with a key. Sliding door security pins are available at
all home improvement stores.
4. Sliding glass door security bar on
each sliding glass door
On all sliding glass doors, you need to install a sliding
glass door security bar ($10.00). HOW THEY
WORK: A “sliding door security bar” is an aluminum
tube, one end of which
is on a swivel that is
permanently attached
to the doorframe next
to the fixed glass
panel. The bar rotates
down into a horizontal
position to act like a broomstick to
keep a burglar from opening the
sliding panel. The security bar
should be installed no higher than
48 inches above the floor; but it
may be installed lower.
IMPORTANCE: If a broomstick is used instead of a
security bar, you run the risk of the broomstick getting
misplaced. Sliding door security bars are typically
used only at night, whereas sliding door security pins
2 When installing a sliding glass door security pin,
consider drilling the hole into the overlapping aluminum
doorframes at a slightly downward angle to lessen the risk
that the pin could be jiggled out by shaking the door from
outside. Avoid drilling into the glass. Shorten the pin by
cutting off the bottom of the pin just enough so that that the
head is flush with the frame when it is fully engaged. That
will make it easy for you to verify from a distance that the
security pin is all the way in.
are typically used both day and night. Installing the
security bar the near the bottom of the door seems to
be a more aesthetic placement. All home improvement
stores have them.
Caveat: If a sliding glass door is locked with only a
security bar, the door can sometimes be lifted off the
track from the outside with a crowbar and removed.
If a sliding door is locked with only a security pin, the
pin can sometimes be jiggled out by shaking the door
repeatedly from the outside. Therefore, it is important
to install both for maximum protection. A state statute
requires both to be installed on every rental dwelling,
including a home, condo, or duplex rented out by the
owner. (See paragraph 45). All home improvement
stores have sliding glass door security bars.
5. Peephole (doorviewer) on each
exterior door
You need to have a peephole on every exterior door
($5.00) that doesn’t have a clear windowpane in it.
HOW THEY WORK: A peephole is a small tube installed in a hinged door
at eye level to see who
is outside without
opening the door. They
are used when there is
no transparent glass in
the door for that purpose. It has a wideangle lens and can be
installed in minutes.
Peepholes are sometimes called “doorviewers”. There
is no statutorily-mandated height for installation of a
doorviewer, but common sense would seem to indicate
that 60 inches should suffice for both tall and short
adults. There is no law preventing installation of a
second lower peephole for children or persons in a
wheelchair.
IMPORTANCE: Obviously, they enable you to protect
yourself against possible forced entry by a stranger if
you were to open the door. In many cases, a clever
criminal can hide far enough away from a glass panel
beside the door to not be detected by someone inside the house looking out. The panoramic field of a
peephole solves that problem. Don’t forget to put a
peephole in any door from the garage into the house.
To use them, your eye needs to be within a few inches
of the door. All home improvement stores have peepholes.
Much larger, high-quality peepholes are available over
the Internet, and they allow you to see who’s outside
while your are standing 5 or 6 feet back from the door
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and without having to bend down or get on your tiptoes
($23.00). The viewing lens is 2 3/8” wide instead of
the typical 1/4” and is much easier to use. Surf “NewvueTrading.com” on the Internet. Even larger, batterypowered ones provide an image nearly the size and
clarity as the screen on an Iphone camera ($130.00).
Surf “Brinno.com.”
6. Peephole on door from garage into the
house
On any pedestrian door going from your garage into
your house, you need to have the same set of security
devices that you have on all other exterior doors.
IMPORTANCE: If the garage door into your house
doesn’t have a single-cylinder deadbolt, keyless
deadbolt, non-lockable doorknob, and peephole, your
security may be in jeopardy if an intruder gets past an
open or malfunctioning overhead garage door. The
same holds true if the house door opens out into the
garage and doesn’t have doorframe security pins.
(See paragraph 8).
7.
Window latch on each window
You need to have operable latches on every exterior
window that slides open. HOW THEY WORK: Most
windows have built-in latches
when first installed. But time
and breakage take their toll.
If a window latch is missing or
broken, generic replacements
are cheap ($2.00). Latches
may not be needed for
crank-operated windows.
IMPORTANCE: Obviously, a sliding window is an easy
entry for a burglar if the window isn’t latched. Caveat:
If the window is the only window exit from a room and
if the window were to be permanently nailed or painted
shut for any reason, you may be setting yourself up for
a huge liability lawsuit if someone gets trapped in the
room in a fire. After-market window latches are available at all home improvement stores.
8. Doorframe pins for any exterior door
swinging out
If an exterior door opens away from the house, you
need to have two doorframe pins on the doorframe on
the hinge side of the door
($2.00).
HOW THEY WORK: When
a door opens away from
the house rather than into
the house, a burglar can
remove the door’s hinge pins (which are on the outside
of the door) and pull the hinge side of the door out.
A doorframe pin should not be confused with a door
hinge pin). A doorframe pin is screwed into the doorframe just deep enough so it will stick out about a halfinch, which is enough to penetrate into a small hole
that you drill into the butt of the door. When you close
the door, the doorframe pin goes into the hole...and
stops the burglar from removing the door by knocking
the hinge pins out of the door hinges. One doorframe
pin should be installed above the top door hinge and
other one below the bottom door hinge.
IMPORTANCE: All deadbolts and latchbolts on the
doorknob side of a hinged door become absolutely
useless if the door can be pulled off in the manner
described above. Doorframe pins are carried by only a
few locksmiths; so an equally effective substitute is to
screw a couple of large, long screws through the doorframe into the 2x4 studs behind the doorframe, leaving
about a half-inch sticking out. The screw heads are
then sawed off. (As a last resort, a large, long nail will
do in lieu of a screw). If you’re trying to secure items in
a locked closet inside the house, doorframe pins will be
needed if the closet door opens away from the closet.
As an alternative to doorframe pins, you can install
“security” door hinges that are manufactured with nonremovable hinge pins.
9. Backplates and strikeplates for any
exterior door swinging out
Have your carpenter check every exterior wooden door
in your home to make sure that there is a backplate installed behind every strikeplate and that it is installed
with the proper kind of long
screws.
HOW THEY WORK: A
strikeplate is the small
metal plate with a curved
Backplate
front that is countersunk
into the wooden doorjamb
and into which the deadbolt
or latchbolt penetrates. A
backplate is stronger than
a strikeplate plate but has
the same size hole for the
deadbolt. The backplate
should be installed first and
Strikeplate
should be screwed into the
Installed
2x4 stud behind the doorjamb with at least two 3-inch-long #3 Phillips screws
(which are special screws made for this purpose).
Then the strikeplate is attached to the backplate with
small, ¼-inch machine screws. Backplates on metal
7
doorframes are not necessary because of the strength
of the metal frame.
IMPORTANCE: Virtually all wooden doors can be
busted in with strong kicks or blows from a hand-held
battering ram if the carpenter who installed the door
was lazy and just installed the strikeplate with ¾-inch
screws that do not penetrate deep enough to withstand
a strong kick. Quite often those carpenters (i) fail to
install a backplate behind the strikeplate or (ii) fail to
use long screws to install the backplate. A backplate
that is installed with long screws into the studs is what
gives the door its strength to help withstand a bash-in.
If the installation is not done with a backplate and long
screws, it is much easier for burglars and police gain
entry. A second backplate may be necessary if there
is a wide gap between the edge of the door and the
doorjamb, keeping the bolts of those locks from penetrating deep enough into the backplate. A strikeplate
and backplate together cost $4.00 and the long screws
cost pennies.
If strikeplates and backplates are correctly installed for
all three locks (keyless deadbolt, single-cylinder deadbolt, and doorknob latchbolt), the overall security of the
door should be quite good; and whoever tries to bust
through it will have to work hard and long to break the
door down. If you are still worried about strength, you
could always add another single-cylinder deadbolt near
the bottom of the door or use a swinging-door security
bar or a slidebolt into the threshold. (See paragraph
23). Each of those will make the intruder work harder
and longer before the door finally breaks, and it will
take so much time and make so much noise that the
burglar will nearly always call it quits.
10. AVOID double-cylinder deadbolts on
exterior entry doors
If at all possible, you need to remove all double-cylinder
deadbolt locks from exterior entry doors in your home.
HOW THEY WORK: A double-cylinder deadbolt lock
has a deadbolt that is operated by key on both sides
of the lock. It cannot be
locked or unlocked without
a key. Many cities outlaw
double-cylinder deadbolts
on all residential entry doors
of rent houses, condos, duplexes, apartments, hotels,
motels, dormitories, and rest
homes because of the “firetrap” risks that are inherent
in them.
WHY THEY SHOULD BE REMOVED: Double-cylinder
deadbolts are dangerous for two reasons: (1) children
and adults can be trapped if they can’t find or engage
the key in the panic to get out in a fire or smoke-filled
room, and (2) all persons staying inside the house are
less likely to lock the door during the day because of
the time and inconvenience of finding the key to lock
and unlock the door. Some homeowners make the bad
choice of leaving the key in the lock all the time during
day, which invites theft of the key by others and which
can lead to costly or tragic consequences. If the door
already has a single-cylinder deadbolt and a keyless
deadbolt, you can easily “remove” the double-cylinder
deadbolt danger by simply plugging up both doublecylinder keyholes with chewing gum.
Glass pane worry: If a double-cylinder deadbolt was
put on the door in years past because of concern
over someone breaking the glass and reaching in and
unlocking a single-cylinder deadbolt, there are two possible solutions for overcoming this concern:
• First solution. Remove the double-cylinder deadbolt, making sure you install or retain a keyless
deadbolt and a single-cylinder deadbolt at their
normal height. Then install another single-cylinder
deadbolt down low, out of reach of any burglar.
The primary single-cylinder deadbolt should be
at normal height for easy use during the day or
night. The additional (lower) single-cylinder deadbolt would be engaged at night or when everyone
is gone. When both single-cylinder deadbolts are
locked, the family members inside are secure; but
others can still get in from the outside with a key,
assuming of course that the keyless deadbolt has
not yet been locked.
• Second solution. Remove the double-cylinder
deadbolt, making sure you install or retain a keyless deadbolt and a single-cylinder deadbolt at their
normal height. Then have your carpenter cut some
1/8-inch thick clear plastic pieces to install over
the glass (or replace the glass with it) in order to
minimize the risk of entry by glass breakage. This
more-costly solution should probably be considered
only if the glass is extends so low that the “secondsingle-cylinder-deadbolt” solution above would be
ineffective.
If neither of the above solutions works for you, there is
only one other scenario for keeping the double-cylinder
deadbolt on the door, which is fraught with danger.
That scenario is to leave the double-cylinder deadbolt
in place, hide a key close by, and educate your family
and overnight guests on its location, hoping that they
will never forget to put the key back and that they will
be able to find it in a fire or smoke-filled room. Even
though no Texas statute prohibits double-cylinder dead-
8
bolts, they are still risky to have. A few Texas cities
outlaw them because of the fire-trap danger.
A key should never be continuously left in a double-cylinder deadbolt because of the danger of it being stolen
(resulting in a burglary danger) or being accidentally
misplaced or mistakenly removed (resulting in an inability to lock the door or get out through a locked door
in a fire).
11. AVOID lockable doorknobs on exterior
entry doors
If an exterior entry door has a lockable doorknob, you
need to replace it with a non-lockable doorknob and
rely solely on a singlecylinder deadbolt to lock
up when leaving. A lockable doorknob is locked by
pushing a button or twisting
a knob on the doorknob. A
lockable doorknob has a
“latchbolt” that protrudes
into the doorjamb only
one-half-inch deep—about
half as much as a “deadbolt”. Consequently, there
is less doorframe wood that
must be broken away to get
inside. Police and burglars
are often able to kick in
wooden doors that are only
locked with a lockable doorknob (especially when the
backplates were not installed with 3-inch screws that
will reach the stud behind the doorframe.
WHY THEY SHOULD BE REMOVED: There are three
good reasons to remove lockable doorknobs:
• First, lockable doorknobs can be dangerous because the latchbolt can often be jimmied open with
a credit card or pocketknife from outside the door—
unlike the bolt of a single-cylinder deadbolt.
• Second, lockable doorknobs tempt family members
to lock the door with only the doorknob lock—and
not the single-cylinder deadbolt—when leaving the
house. A door’s resistance to being bashed in by a
burglar is reduced considerably when locked only
with a doorknob lock.
• Third, you can lock yourself out if you go outside in
your PJs to get the newspaper and shut the door
behind you through habit…and then you suddenly
realize the door’s push-button or twist-button lock
was still engaged…you don’t have your key.3
To save money while still increasing security inside
the house, consider swapping the lockable doorknob
on the exterior door with an existing non-lockable
doorknob on a closet door. Another way minimize
the lockable doorknob danger is to leave the lockable
doorknob in place and have your carpenter remove the
locking mechanism from inside the doorknob and glue
the push button back at its pushed-in position. In either
case, you need to install a single-cylinder deadbolt on
the door.
Additional Security Devices
to Help Keep the Burglars
Away
12. Non-monitored security alarms
Consider installing an inexpensive alarm system if you
can’t afford a monitored system. It consists of batterypowered door and window alarms that attach very
quickly with double-edged tape or Velcro. If a door or
window is opened, a magnet activates a loud alarm
that is designed to thwart any entry when the perpetrator hears the noise. It also gives any occupants a
warning about the security breach and gives them time
to call police, flee, or arm themselves. The kits typically sell for under $30.00 at home improvement stores
and contain several battery-powered door and window
alarms. With two kits, an entire home can usually be
well protected. It’s obviously a localized alarm with
limitations, but it’s better than no alarm at all.
13. Monitored security alarms (fake)
Equipping your home with fake external trappings of
a monitored security system is by itself a formidable
deterrent to burglary, i.e., fake security cameras visible
from the outside, fake surveillance decals on some
windows, a fake security system sign in the yard (and
waterfront), and a fake “Don’t Forget to Arm or Disarm
the Security Alarm” above the lock on one or more
entry doors. (See paragraphs 16, 17, and 18). To
mislead a professional burglar who has had access
to your home to scope it out, find a house that’s being
torn down and see if it has a monitoring system control
panel you could obtain to put in your home as a “fake”
panel in your home.
3 There is no law that prevents the use of a lockable doorknob as a supplement to a single-cylinder deadbolt; but it
would seem wise to not have a lockable doorknob under any
circumstances in view of the three reasons stated above.
9
14. Monitored security alarms (real)
Security systems monitored by third-party companies
can be very beneficial; but in this author’s opinion, they
should be viewed as supplemental to all other items
dealing solely with security in this article (in contrast to
fire detection and emergency help protection).
Burglar deterrent function. For sure, the sophisticated
alarm systems are a deterrent to burglars (just like fake
security alarm systems are). The “bad guys” know that
the police can seldom arrive quickly enough to stop a
snatch-and-flee burglar or an experienced burglar who
has cased your home and knows how to get in and out
quickly. The initial delay will consist of (1) the time it
takes for the monitoring company to call your home to
see if it is a false alarm, (2) the time it takes for them to
call the local police or fire department if it is not a false
alarm, and (3) the time for police/fire response. The
average response time for the best of police and fire
department’s is 4 to 5 minutes. Add those three times
together and you have 6 to 8 minutes...or maybe longer. Therefore, when a burglar feels he can get in and
out in that amount of time, he will have minimal fear
of the police arriving in time to catch him. Installing a
monitored security system should be viewed as icing
on the cake after you have installed or utilized other
security devices and procedures in this memo to deter
the burglar from entering in the first place.
Video function. This feature of a real (not fake) system
is relatively easy for a burglar to circumvent. He simply
wears a “hoodie” on his head and a long-sleeve shirt to
hide any tattoos.
Smoke detector function. One of the biggest benefits
of a real (rather than fake) monitored security system is
its function as a smoke detector. When there is smoke
from a fire, the system will automatically by phone alert
the private monitoring service that will then immediately
call your home to see if it’s a false alarm. If a false
alarm can’t be confirmed, they immediately call the fire
department or 911 in your area. The same procedure
applies when the alarm system is triggered by (i) a
forced entry by a burglar or (ii) an unforced entry by
friend or family who fails to timely disarm the system.
In such situations, the monitoring company calls the
police or 911 in your area if they can’t quickly confirm
it’s a false alarm.
Emergency help function. Monitored systems can be
especially important if you’re gone a lot or if someone is
living alone with a health or mobility problem that might
need emergency attention. The systems usually come
equipped with panic buttons to summon emergency
help. Be sure to post the security company’s sign in
your front yard or on your front fence as a deterrent.
A monitored security system and any cell phone built
into the system for alerting purposes are operated by
a battery onsite that is continually kept charged by the
home’s a/c current. This allows the system to continue
to operate, for a limited period of time, when there is an
electrical power outage. Even though the control panel
for arming/disarming the system needs to be quickly
accessible upon entering and leaving, consider installing the system “brains” and battery backup in a locked
closet. Retrofitting old houses with monitored systems
is easy since all companies offer wireless sensors for
security/fire/smoke detection.
Bells and whistles function. A monitored system can
provide all the bells and whistles of using your cell
phone to control lights and view what’s going inside
while you’re away --if you’re in to that kind of sophistication. A monitored system also gives you the peace of
mind that the burglar cannot afford to linger long inside
the house. But a fake monitored system will likely limit
the burglar’s stay just as well if he sees the external
trappings of what appears to be a real system.
Warning function. These are essential. A real monitored security system has only a fraction of its potential
value as a burglary deterrent if it doesn’t have all the
external trappings to put a potential burglar on notice
that the home has a security system, i.e., security
cameras visible from the outside, surveillance warning
decals on some windows, a security system sign in the
yard (and waterfront), and “arm/disarm” notice above
an entry door lock. (See paragraphs 16, 17 and 18).
15. Glass break alarms
If you don’t have a monitored system with a glassbreak sensor, you can buy small, battery-operated
glass-break alarms that
stick to the corner of a glass
window and will trigger a
deafening, continuous siren
when the window is broken
to alert you and to hopefully scare the burglar away
($8.00). Surf the Internet for
“glass break alarms”. Some
are ultra thin so they can fit behind window blinds. See
“HomeDepot.com”. All home improvement stores have
them. A security monitoring service is not necessary
for the foregoing.
16. Exterior security cameras (real or fake)
Install real video security cameras ($$$) or fake ones
($10.00) under the soffits (roof overhangs) at visible
places all around your house so that potential burglars
will think you have a video surveillance system. A fake
video camera usually has the same deterrent power as
10
a real one. The more aesthetic style of cameras (real
or fake) look like small smoked-glass domes, i.e.,
fully-enclosed half spheres
about 4 or 5 inches wide.
They don’t have exposed
wires or cables and don’t
look like movie cameras.
Fake dome-shaped cameras are readily available
online. When they are
installed flush to the underside of the roof soffit, they go relatively unnoticed by
normal folks and won’t distract from the aesthetics of
your home; but burglars will know what they are,
instantly. The domes that are solid black with a
smoked-glass surface seem to be less noticeable by
normal guests—except the criminals will for sure see
them. Surf the Internet for “dome type security cameras” and “HughesSecuritySolutions.com”. A security
monitoring service is not necessary for the foregoing.
17. Security system yard signs and decals
(real or fake)
Utilize the window decals and yard signs provided by
the company monitoring your electronic security
system. Or you can fake decals (like
“Warning--Video Surveillance”) for
your windows ($2.00 each) and fake
security company signs for your yard
or boathouse ($10.00) to fool potential burglars into thinking that you
have a monitored security system.
Fake window surveillance decals and
signs, alone, will be a substantial
deterrent to burglary. A window decal
should be put on at least one window
on each side of the house. Surf the
Internet for “security signs and decals”
and “HughesSecuritySolutions.com”.
18. Security system “arm/disarm” notices
(real or fake) above door locks
Consider attaching a small 2”x3” sign right above the
single-cylinder deadbolt on the door from the garage
into the house (or other
door) that reads: “Don’t
Forget to Arm or Disarm
the Security Alarm”. Most
fast-sign shops make these
small all-weather signs
($10.00) that easily stick to
the door. A potential burglar
will notice the sign, and he’ll have to assume the notice
is for real.
19. Exterior gate locks
On all exterior gates into
your patios and yards,
install a double-cylinder
deadbolt ($45.00). That’s
the deadbolt that operates
by a key on both sides.
They are okay to use on
outside gates since they
won’t trap people inside in
a fire. If your gates are locked with double-cylinder
deadbolt, a key is required to go in or out—so it will be
harder and longer for a burglar to gain entry into the
house…and they’ll have to haul their loot over the gate
when leaving. If you have a wrought iron gate, a welding company can send someone out to weld a prefabricated deadbolt housing onto the gate. Then the welder
or any locksmith can install in the housing a doublecylinder deadbolt. Also consider asking your locksmith
to key the gate lock to the same key that opens your
front door.
If you have a conventional wooden gate or chainlink
gate with a gravity latch, it should be kept locked with a
padlock while you’re gone. Certain types of padlocks
can be keyed by a locksmith to open with the same key
that opens your front door ($20.00). Those types of
padlocks are usually available only at locksmith shops.
If the security risk is high and you don’t mind handling
an extra key, buy instead a “disk” padlock ($15.00)
since a disclock, unlike typical padlocks, can’t be cut
with a bolt cutter, can’t be broken open with a hammer,
and can’t be easily picked.
Did you know that the majority of break-ins take place
in the daytime while the occupants are away at work or
school and that such entries are usually gained through
doors and windows in back yards where others can’t
easily see the intruder? Hence, keeping any side yard
gates locked while still creating the illusion that occupants are at home (when they’re actually gone) is more
important than you may think. See paragraphs 48
through 53 regarding the creation of such illusions.
20. Nighttime lighting
operated by photocells
If you want continuous lighting at night from a porch light or
floodlight but don’t want to have
to remember to turn the light off
during the day, buy a small photocell that screws into the socket of
a protected light fixture ($10.00).
The light bulb then screws into the
photocell. Thereafter, when you
leave the light switch permanently
Interior Photocell
11
on, the light comes on every
night from dusk until dawn
and shuts off during the day.
Outside floodlights need
a weatherproof photocell
($10.00). The electricity
savings will soon pay for the
cost of the photocell.
Be sure to have override switches so the sensors are
activated only after everyone retires for the night.
22. Barking dog alarms
Exterior Photocell
21. Motion sensors
for exterior and interior lighting
Install motion sensors (detectors) that automatically
turn outside lights on for entry sidewalks, porches,
carports, and yards when
someone approaches at
night ($75.00). If a light
suddenly comes on as a
burglar approaches, there’s
a good chance he’ll think
that he’s been detected or
he’ll worry that a neighbor
might have seen him and
he’ll run away. As an extra
benefit, the sensors will
help light the entry or exit pathways for your family and
guests. All exterior motion sensors that are connected
to outside lights have built-in photocells to keep the
lights from coming on in the daytime.
Attractive designer-type light fixtures for interior use are
now being made with motion sensors innocuously built
into the fixture’s design. The sensor turns the light
fixture on only if it senses motion by
anyone coming into the room (including
a burglar!). The sensor can be place
inside the house, facing outside through
a window, to pick up movement on the
outside of the house. Small 180°
motion sensors can be purchase to
screw into a light socket, and the light
bulb then screws into the motion sensor
($20.00). They are also available to
pick up motion 360° ($25.00). All of them automatically
turn off if no motion is sensed for 5 minutes or so.
They are great for closets and laundry rooms where
you often have your hands full. All motion sensors for
lights save money because the lights don’t stay on all
night long. Entering into a contract with a security
monitoring company is not necessary for you to install
your own system of lighting or alarms triggered by
motion detectors.
Consider installing a “barking dog” alarm that sounds
like a vicious barking dog inside the house when triggered by a built-in motion sensor or by a bedside remote control that comes with the alarm ($80.00). They
allegedly can sense motion through glass windows.
The barking stops after a specified time if no motion is
sensed. The length, intervals, speed, and loudness of
the barks varies, just as a real dog’s bark would. The
alarms have an “off” switch to keep the alarm from
triggering while your family or guests are at the house.
They can also be manually turned on and off with a
bedside remote control. Surf the Internet for “barking
dog alarms”. Be sure to install and test it before expiration of the warranty since the quality of these foreignmade alarms may not be the best.
23. Security bars and threshold surfacebolts for swinging (hinged) doors
A security bar for a hinged door that swings into the
house is a portable, adjustable bar that significantly
increases the door’s resistance to
being bashed in ($20.00). It works
somewhat like leaning a chair under
the doorknob to prevent the door from
being opened. The bar has a fork at
the top to fit under the doorknob and
has a skid-proof rubber foot at the
bottom to grab the carpet or tile floor.
The security bar is portable and works
extremely well—even if a hand-held
battering ram is used by a burglar or
the police.
A foot-operated surface bolt can serve the same
purpose ($7.00). A permanent alternative to a security
bar is a heavy-duty surface bolt ($10.00) that can be
installed at the bottom of the door
and that slides down into the threshold. All
home
improvement
stores
have the
inexpensive
surfacebolts.
If you plan on allowing pets to roam the house at night,
you may have to install small shields on the sensors so
they pick up motion only above a designated height.
12
24. Protect against entry via ventilation
windows
When you open windows for ventilation, it is easy to
forget and leave the windows open or unlocked,
making entry into your home a cake walk for the
burglar…with no breakage from forced entry, no delay,
no door-bashing sound, no broken glass, and no
telltale sign of entry. The solution is to: (1) drill a hole
into the window track about 8 or so
inches above the top of the window,
and (2) insert a double-headed nail
into the hole so it’ll be easy to pull
the nail out (from the inside only).
That will keep you or your family
from inadvertently raising the
window above that height. The nail
can be easily removed to raise the
window higher if necessary. Eight
inches is not a magical number. You
just need to make sure the window is not open enough
for a burglar to squeeze through the opening or reach
inside and remove the nail. Would it be better to put a
non-removable screw or nail at that point instead of just
having a hole for a removable nail? Probably not.
What if there’s a fire and the only route of escape from
the room is through that particular window?
25. Protect against entry via dog-and-cat
doors
If a “come-and-go trap door” has been installed in any
of your exterior doors for your dog or cat, be sure that
a burglar can’t reach in
through the door and unlock
the deadbolts. The solution may be to install your
single-cylinder deadbolt (or
a second one) much higher
on the door, beyond the
intruder’s reach. Caveat:
Are there any raccoons or
skunks in your neighborhood that could crawl through
the trap door in search of food?
26. Overhead garage door openers
Theft of the actual remote control for your overhead
garage door is not the only danger associated with
overhead garage doors. It’s easy for a potential burglar
working in your house to steal the electronic code for
your garage door remote control while you’re not looking. That can be done by holding a compatible remote
control up near the motor of your overhead door and
pressing the “learn” button on the motor housing,
which then transmits the motor’s code to the hand-held
remote control. After capturing your code, the potential
burglar can then open your garage door when you are
gone. The whole process of stealing the code takes
about 2 minutes. There are two solutions to the foregoing risk:
1. The first solution is to engage the “lock” button on
the wall-mounted garage door switch inside your garage or home. The “lock” button prevents any wireless signal from any source from opening the garage
door. Typically the same button will electronically
unlock the overhead door when you push it again.
Some people even engage the garage-door lock button when they retire for the night. If your wall switch
doesn’t have a “lock” button, one
can usually be retrofitted. Some
people avoid that expense by tripping the circuit breaker for the
overhead garage door motor when
leaving for long periods. If you put
the garage overhead door in the
“lock” mode when you leave, you
will obviously have to re-enter
through a regular door that opens with a key when
you return. You could find yourself in a real fix if you
don’t have your door key to gain entry—all the more
reason to keep a spare door key outside in a key
safe. Using the “lock” mode on a continual basis
while you are at home may be impractical; but it
would seem worth the trouble when you leave for
long periods.
2. The second solution is
to attach a metal plate
over the “learn” button on
the motor housing. This
should cause enough confusion and delay to keep
the potential burglar from
stealing your code via the “learn” button when you’re
not around. Obviously, utilizing both solutions is better than just one.
27. Lake or river adjacent to your property
If your home has easy access from an abutting lake or
river, it is susceptible to burglars coming by boat after
dark. Police or security patrols traveling the street side
of your home are much less likely to see burglars coming and going from the water side. To discourage such
burglars, consider adding double-cylinder deadbolt
locks to any gates between your house and the water
to make it harder and longer for the criminal to gain
entry into your home. Engage those locks whenever
you’re gone for extended periods.
Also consider installing floodlights on the water side
of your house that automatically turn on at night via
motion sensors whenever humans come ashore. Be
forewarned that sensors that are advertised as “infra-
13
red” are misleading because non-heat sources such
as swaying tree branches or waves on a body of water
can still trigger them. If a motion sensor directly faces
the water or is near swaying tree branches, it might be
wise to temporarily mount them and “hot wire” them
without doing any expensive conduit work to make sure
the sensors are not be triggered by waves or limbs at
the location you first selected. Photocells, which keep
the floodlights or alarms from coming on in the daytime,
are normally built into such motion sensors; but if not,
photocells can be separately installed upstream of the
sensor.
consider him to be a trespasser in violation of the sign
and that if he continues to solicit any of your neighbors
who have similar signs, the police will be called. (If
you have installed a chain latch on your door, you can
pen he door a bit in relative safety to deliver that message). If most of your neighbors would do likewise, the
criminals pretending to solicit would probably decide to
visit another neighborhood that is not so wary.4 A “No
Solicitors” sign might even save you some unnecessary
trips to answer the doorbell in the future. For a variety
of “No Solicitation” signs, surf the Internet at:
atlassignsandplaques.com.
If you have a monitored security
system, consider installing your
security company’s yard sign on
your dock or boathouse (facing the
water) so potential criminals who
are scoping you out for a nighttime
water approach by boat will see
it. Or in lieu thereof, attach a fake
yard sign to the dock or boathouse. (See paragraph 17). Surf
the Internet for “security signs and
decals”.
If solicitation after sundown is a serious concern in your
area, organize an effort to get your city council to adopt
an ordinance prohibiting all door-to-door solicitations
after 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. Of course, the ordinance should
have an exception for Halloween night. The foregoing
standard can be legally justified on community safety
grounds.
28. House keys
Never hide a house key under a mat or flowerpot.
Instead, keep a spare key in a key safe that is mounted
on the outside of the house (preferably out of sight of
any door). Purchase the type that unlocks by punching
buttons rather than turning dials. (See paragraph 31).
29. “No Solicitors” sign
A tasteful “No Solicitors” sign mounted near your doorbell will help prevent solicitors from leaving flyers that,
if not timely picked up by you (or your neighbor when
you’re gone), may lead potential burglars to suspect
you are out of town. Additionally, a common ruse
used by potential burglars is to go in person or send
a “scout” to the front door, ring the doorbell, and wait
to see if anyone is at home. If no one answers, they’ll
quickly look into the windows for potential opportunities.
If someone answers the door, the potential burglar or
scout claims to be a magazine salesman, charity solicitor, etc.
One way to somewhat thwart that ruse is to mount a
“No Solicitors” sign near the front doorbell. If a solicitor rings the doorbell and you come to the door, politely
inform him that he has wasted your time and that you
30. Protecting outside telephone cables
Check the telephone cable for your landline coming to
your house from the street to see if the cable can be
better protected against someone
cutting it. Your telephone line is
sometimes an integral part of a monitored security system and is used for
alerting the monitoring service about
an intrusion or fire and for allowing
the monitoring service to immediately
call back to house to see whether
it’s a false alarm. If the telephone
cable approaches the house from
underground and travels
up an outside wall before
entering the house, consider encapsulating the line
with galvanized pipe and
putting a padlocked electrical box over the telephone
box mounted on the outside wall. That will add to
vandalism protection, as well. To avoid the risks of (i)
the telephone landline being down for any reason or (ii)
a burglar cutting the overhead or underground landline
to your telephone, many monitored systems build a
cell phone into the alarm system to call the monitoring
service when a fire or intrusion occurs. The cell phone
will have a battery backup.
4 Entering someone’s property where a posted “No
Trespassing” sign is reasonably likely to be seen is a violation of Texas Penal Code, Section 30.05, with a maximum
fine of $2,000 or 180 days in jail. A “No Solicitors” sign is
probably not equivalent under the law to a “No Trespassing”
sign; but bluffing the solicitor should work most of the time.
14
A Variety of Safes
31. Small key safes mounted outside
For sure, a house key hidden under a doormat or pot
plant is the first place burglars will look for a key. It’s
much safer to install a small, lockable “key safe”
somewhere outside the house ($30.00) to keep a spare
key handy. The best kind has a combination lock that
opens by pushing buttons and can
be quickly unlocked--even with
poor eyesight and even with your
eyes closed! The ones that unlock
by turning dials are useless at
night if you don’t have a flashlight
handy, and they are slower and
more difficult to operate at all
times, day or night. A key safe is
also a handy way to safely make a
key available for a neighbor,
relative, guest, or trusted worker
when needed because of a
security breach, health emergency,
broken water pipe, etc.
inside the house ($40.00). Key cabinets come in a
range of sizes to hold differing numbers of keys. The
cabinets that have a push-button combination to unlock
them are far superior to ones that have a dial-type
combination or that open with a key. Label all multiple
keys with small key tags to avoid inevitable mix-ups or
forgetfulness...but putting your name or street address
tags on your house keys would seem rather foolish. It’s
okay to put a
third party’s
phone
number on
your key ring
so whoever
finds your lost
keys can call
that number
(assuming there’s no key on the key ring to the third
party’s home!) Surf the Internet for “GE key cabinets”.
If you have a Minimum or high-security safe, you may
want to store such keys in the safe in lieu of a separate
key cabinet.
33. High-security safes
Keeping a house key in a key safe
means: (1) less chance that your
spare key will get into the wrong
hands, (2) less worry about having
to rekey all doors because your
key hidden is suddenly missing, and (3) less likelihood
of having to call a locksmith because you’ve locked
yourself out. The combination to a key safe can be
easily changed. You can even order over the Internet
larger key safes that hold 7 or 8 keys and a garage
door remote control ($40.00). They, too, are available
with button-type combinations. Rubberized “covers” for
all sizes are available for better weather protection for
the safe. Surf the Internet for “sales@davstarsecurity.
com”.
If you really want to maximize safety, install two key
safes: one whose combination will never be given to
anyone but trusted family or neighbors, and one whose
combination you can periodically change after you
have provided access via the key in the safe to a workman, service person, guest, etc. in your absence. The
combination to these key safes can be changed in less
than 30 seconds.
32. Key cabinet mounted inside the house
for storage of multiple or spare keys
Never hang a bunch of spare keys in a place where
dishonest workers or service personnel, fired employees, or curious kids can walk off with them. If you need
to store lots of different or duplicate keys, install a
lockable key cabinet on the inside of a closet door
Buy a burglar proof safe ($$$) and bolt it to a concrete
floor. If a potential burglar observes that guns and expensive jewelry are left in plain sight,
you become a tempting target. On
the other hand, if he sees a substantial safe and no guns or jewelry, he
is much less likely to put you down
for a future burglary. To encourage
frequent usage of the safe by your
family, buy one that unlocks easily and
quickly with a punch-button pad rather
than a dial—preferably a tall safe that
doesn’t require you to bend over or
squat down to open it or see what’s in
it. Not all safes have a high burglar
proof rating, particularly the ones in
the discount and home improvement
stores. For expensive jewelry, coins,
guns, and valuable documents, check
the “burglar proof” and “fireproof”
ratings before buying any safe. Steel
thickness and hardness and fireresistant insulation can vary greatly.
The top brands come in a variety of sizes and décor
colors, and some even have multi-drawer inserts as an
option. Surf the Internet for “DeanSafe.com” for quality,
choices, and wholesale prices. Many old safes with
dial-type locks can be retrofitted to a punch-button pad
by a local locksmith ($250.00).
15
34. Minimum-security safes
A small, Minimum-security safe is better than no safe
at all. If an inexpensive safe is bolted to the wall or attached by cable to a permanent fixture or heavy piece
of furniture, most burglars
will forget about it because
of the time and difficulty
of opening or removing it.
You, however, can open
your minimum-security safe
in 5 or 6 seconds if it has
a punch-button pad rather than a dial for unlocking.
They are priced reasonably, and they usually come with
a small steel cable for securing the safe to heavy or
permanent objects ($40.00). All home improvements
stores have them.
35. Pistol safes
If your pistol is not stored in a high-security or minimum-security safe, consider storing it in a small “pistol
safe”. There are several
kinds of pistol safes that can
be locked and opened by (i)
key, (ii) built-in combination
dials, (iii) fingers pressed
in a certain sequence, or
(iv) fingerprint detection.
It would seem best to buy
one that can be opened in
the dark, and the best one
for that purpose appears to
be the kind that opens by
pressing your fingers on a
finger pad in a certain sequence. It can be opened in
three seconds by punching
in a 4-digit code with four of
your fingers placed flat on the case ($150.00). Another
type opens by sliding your forefinger over a built-in
fingerprint detector ($200.00); but that type is prone to
difficulties in reading your authorized fingerprint(s). All
types of pistol safes can be opened with a special key
as a backup for any malfunction of the primary method
of opening the safe. To protect against unauthorized
removal of the safe, all pistol safes come with a steel
cable to secure them to a bed frame, heavy piece of
furniture, etc. Storing pistols in a secure high-security
or minimum-security safe or a pistol safe or using keyoperated trigger guards would seem absolutely essential to protect curious children. Surf the Internet for
“pistol safes”.
36. Diversion safes
Small “diversion” safes are a keen idea for keeping
some everyday jewelry like watches or rings quickly
accessible in the bathroom or dressing area. A typical
“diversion” safe ($22.00) is a fake “Barbasol” shaving
cream can, fake “Suave” hair spray can, fake sprinkler
head. They have no lock.
They usually open by
unscrewing the bottom of
the canister, etc. Of course,
really valuable jewelry and
watches should probably be
kept in a more substantial
safe…in case someone
inadvertently or accidentally
discards the fake Barbasol can, etc. There are many
clever types of diversion safes. Surf the Internet for
“diversion safes.”
Additional Security
Protection for Small
Children
37. “Grandparent” door lock protection for
toddlers
One particular security device is always of interest to
grandparents (and parents too) because it removes a
lot of worry over the safety
of very young children.
The inventor dubbed them
“grandparent” locks since
grandparents need them
the most, i.e., they are not
as speedy as the parents
in catching up with toddlers
who are escaping through
a door. The lock allows any
adult to freely go in or out of
an exterior door, locking and
unlocking it without needing
a key—but the lock cannot
be reached or operated by
toddlers.
Here’s how they work: You purchase two keyless
deadbolts and have your carpenter use the parts to
install a deadbolt 5½ feet high, operated by levers on
both sides of the door (in contrast to a regular keyless
deadbolt that operates by lever on only one side of
the door). When the “grandparent” lock is engaged,
toddlers can’t reach it to escape out into the dangers
of drowning, traffic, or wandering away. Unfortunately,
you can’t buy locks like this off the shelf since no manufacturer makes them. Once you install them, you’ll be
hooked for life. Instead of using parts from two keyless
deadbolt kits, you could also do the same thing cheaper by using parts from two “cabinet thumb locks”.
16
38. Keyed locks for cabinets and drawers
Install small key-operated locks on drawers or cabinets
containing sterling silver flatware, binoculars, ammunition, valuable papers, etc.
($15.00). The locks are
flush-mounted and relatively
innocuous. Lock them as
needed, especially when
gone for long periods. Remember, any kind of sterling
silver is coveted by burglars since it can be melted
down and sold without trace. Having locks on multiple
cabinets and drawers will befuddle most burglars since
they won’t know which ones have the valuable stuff. All
home improvement stores have them.
39. Non-keyed childproof latches for
cabinets and drawers
Plastic, press-down latches ($3.50 for several) can be
installed inside a drawer or cabinet to keep toddlers
from opening them more than 3 or 4 inches, and the
latches can be easily swiveled to permanently disengage them. But older children can soon learn the trick
for opening drawers and cabinets with these kinds of
latches.
A more protective and aesthetic alternative is a Tot-Lok
lock, which will keep toddlers and children of all ages
out of drawers and cabinets.
A Tot-Lok is not visible from
outside the cabinet or
drawer and requires a
special magnet (that comes
with the lock) to unlock it.
The magnet can be stored
up high or out of sight. A
cabinet door or drawer won’t
open even a little bit when
the lock is engaged. The
lock is engaged manually
while the cabinet or drawer
is open. If the lock has not
been engaged, the cabinet
or drawer works normally as
if there were no lock. The
lock works regardless of
whether the cabinet or
drawer has handles. Again,
having the locks on many
different cabinets and
drawers will discourage and
confound the burglars.
The Tot-Lok and other childproof latches work well
to: (i) keep cleaning fluids, prescription medicines,
and potential poisons away from toddlers, (ii) keep
liquor beyond anyone’s easy grasp, and (iii) thwart a
snatch-and-flee burglar from easily stealing silverware
and jewelry from your cabinets and drawers. Surf the
Internet for “childproof cabinet locks”, and check with
the home improvement stores. The websites and
stores have many other ingenious devices to keep
toddlers from opening refrigerators, dishwashers, and
doorknobs.
Other Important Safety
Protections for You & Your
Family
40. Statutorily-required safety standards
for homeowner association swimming and
wading pools
In most states, every swimming pool or wading pool
owned or operated by a homeowners association or
condominium association is statutorily required to
comply with statutory pool yard requirements. In Texas,
those statutory standards include a pool yard fence,
self-closing gate, self-latching gate, throw ring, reaching pole, safety drain cover on the main drain at the
bottom of the pool, and more.5 The statute applies to
all public, commercial, and multi-dwelling pools. Incidentally, your association’s liability insurance carrier will
be tempted to cancel your association’s policy if they
were to discover that your association has ignored the
statutory requirements for pool yard safety.
41. Common law or city-required safety
standards for any pool (including home
pools)
Every homeowner who has a swimming pool must
comply with any local city ordinance that may require
the pool owner to have: (1) a fence around the pool
yard to protect small children in the neighborhood from
wandering into the pool yard, unnoticed, (2) a self-closing, self-latching gate for the fence, and (3) proper lifesaving equipment at the pool, i.e., a floatable life-ring
on a rope ($65.00) and a reaching pole ($15.00), which
are available from all swimming pool supply stores. It
is this author’s opinion that Texas negligence case law
(tort law) imposes the above duties on a homeowner
who has a private pool at his home. That is probably
the case law in other states as well.
5 Section 757.001 et seq of the Texas Health and Safety
Code requires owners of apartments, condominiums, homeowner associations, hotels, motels, rest homes, dormitories
and all other non-single-family homes to enclose their swimming pool
17
Potential liability exposure. Failure to take these steps
can obviously lead to tragedy, in which event you could
be exposed to multi-million-dollar lawsuit liability. Don’t
assume that you’re free of pool yard safety duties
because your home is located out in the county or your
city has no ordinance on the subject. The plaintiff attorneys have successfully argued that all homeowners
everywhere have the above-listed duties under tort law
if they have a swimming pool, i.e., the homeowner has
a common law duty to not be negligent. A reliable test
for legal sufficiency for a homeowner’s pool yard safety
measures is whether those measures reflect the safety
measures in the pool yard statute.
Homes next to natural water. Although no statute
requires life-saving equipment just because a home is
located next to a river or lake, it would seem prudent to
have a life-ring and reaching pole nearby, within sight, if
the water’s edge is deep enough to cause concern.
42. “Turtle” wrist-band alarm system for
toddlers near private home pools
Regardless whether the potential danger is a swimming pool, river, or lake, consider purchasing a “Turtle
Wristband Alarm System” ($265.00) to protect youngsters who cannot swim. The wristbands look like a
wristwatch shaped like a small turtle that an adult can
strap on a child’s wrist or leg and lock it so the child
cannot remove it. If the “turtle” gets wet, it sets off an
ear-piercing alarm inside the house that can be heard a
100 or more feet away. They are not only good protection for the kids, the “turtle” can also be permanently
attached to a dog’s collar to sound the alarm if the dog
falls into the pool and falls off the boat dock into the
lake while you’re not looking. They give considerable
peace of mind to the adults who are responsible for
the children and pets. The system can be purchased
at lesliespool.com. Additional wristbands cost about
$45.00 each.
43. Smoke alarms and “rate-of-rise” heat
detectors. You need to have both in your
home
Smoke alarms. You need to have smoke alarms
throughout your home—either the battery-operated
kind ($20.00) or the kind incorporated into a monitored
security system ($$$). The
recommended locations for
smoke alarms in all dwellings are: (i) one in each
bedroom, (ii) one in any
upstairs hallway(s) to a
bedroom if any floor level
beneath the bedroom has
a kitchen, and (iii) one on
every floor that has no bedrooms if there are multiple
floors. Those are the places where the smoke alarm
statute requires every residential landlord to install
them.6 The statute is a safe yardstick for placing
smoke alarms in a homeowner’s own home—unless
local city ordinances require more.
“Rate-of-rise” heat detectors. Installing smoke alarm
in a kitchen is a problem because it will inevitably be
triggered by smoke that
occurs when toast is
burned, etc. Nevertheless,
protection is still needed
because fires commonly
start in the kitchen. Therefore, the experts recommend for kitchens that you
install a “rate-of-rise” heat
detector that triggers an alarm only if there is a rapid
rise in heat. Such detectors are not triggered by
smoke.
Installing a smoke alarm in an enclosed garage is not
a good idea either. This is because vehicle exhaust
fumes and workbench dust can trigger smoke alarms.
But installing a “rate-of-rise” heat detector in a garage
is a good idea since fires that start in a garage usually
have time to grow to big fires before smoke alarms
inside the house can detect them. With monitored security systems, a home can be retrofitted with wireless
rate-of-rise detectors. Smoke alarms and rate-of-rise
detectors (battery or hard-wired) are available at home
improvement stores. Surf the Internet for “rate of rise
heat detectors” (110 volt type) and “wireless rate of rise
heat detectors” (battery operated).
6 Section 92.251 et seq of the Texas Property Code requires smoke alarms for rental dwellings. (The statutes
now refer to them as smoke “alarms” and not smoke “detectors”.) Most city ordinances on smoke alarms apply to
both owner-occupied dwellings and rental dwellings. They
generally require all dwellings to have what the state statute
requires for rental dwellings, as a minimum. The statute says
that smoke alarms must be installed as outlined in paragraph
36 and that they must be installed no closer than 6 inches to
a wall if installed on a ceiling. If installed on a wall, they
must be installed no closer than 6 inches and no farther than
12 inches from the ceiling. If you don’t follow those dimensions, the smoke alarm could be rendered useless to timely
detect smoke. The reason is that smoke from a fire seldom
gets in the 6-inch triangle where the walls meet the ceiling.
Local city ordinances may impose additional requirements,
to a limited extent, for smoke alarms in all dwellings. The
Texas Smoke Alarm Statute that is applicable to residential
landlords is online at “statutes.legis.state.tx.us”.
18
44. Beware of burglar bars on windows
Fixed burglar bars on windows can be a death trap
in a fire. That’s why most cities outlaw fixed burglar
bars. Therefore, it would seen foolhardy to install or
keep them. If you feel you must have them, at least
make sure they are (i) hinged to open to the inside of
the room and (ii) locked with a key from the inside. Be
sure to hide the key on a nearby hook and tell your
family and guests so they can find the key in a room full
of smoke and escape through the window if necessary.
45. When renting out your dwelling
If you ever rent out your home, condo, or duplex, you
become a landlord subject to certain duties under state
statutes and the common law. If your rental dwelling
is in Texas, you need to comply with the statute that
requires the dwelling to have all the security devices
described in paragraphs 1 through 7 at the time the
tenant moves in.7 You have those duties even if you
use a rental agent or put your dwelling into a rental
pool and don’t directly lease the dwelling yourself. The
negligence of the agent or rental pool operator in not
complying with your landlord duties will be imputed
to you; so you won’t be protected from liability. The
precautions in paragraph 8 regarding doorframe pins
and paragraph 9 regarding backplates/strikeplates
may or may not be implied by common law if the worst
were to happen; but they would seem smart things to
do. Removing double-cylinder deadbolts and lockable doorknobs as discussed in paragraphs 10 and 11
probably won’t be a violation of your landlord duties,
but it would seem smart to remove them. Even though
a chain latch is not required by statute or the common
law, it would seem helpful and considerate to install
one on the main entry door if the tenant is living alone
and is vulnerable to heart attack or falling or has mobility limitations. For strength, use longer screws to install
the chain latch.
As a Texas landlord, you will also need to comply with
the statute that mandates installation of smoke alarms
at specified places in all rental dwellings (including
homes that are rented) at the time the tenant moves
7 Section 92.151 et seq of the Texas Property Code requires certain security devices for all rental dwellings. The
Texas Security Device Statute is online at “statutes.legis.
state.tx.us”. The statutory language does not actually use
the term “keyless deadbolt”. Instead it requires a “keyless bolting device” (which includes a keyless deadbolt) on
all exterior doors. But, the statute then says: “The term
‘keyless bolting device’ does not include a chain latch, flip
latch, surface-mounted slide bolt, mortise door bolt, surfacemounted barrel bolt, surface-mounted swing bar door guard,
spring-loaded nightlatch, foot bolt, or other lock or latch.”
Therefore a chain latch is not a legal substitute for a keyless
deadbolt.
in. (See paragraph 43). Most cities have ordinances
requiring smoke alarms in all types of dwellings, including single-family homes that are owner-occupied or
rented out.
Additionally as a Texas landlord, you will need to comply with the statute that mandates pool yard enclosure
if the home you rent to others has a swimming pool.
(See paragraph 40). Every time you rent to a new tenant, the statutes require you to re-key all exterior door
locks and make sure all statutorily-required security devices and smoke alarms are in good working condition
at the time the tenant moves in. Many city ordinances
mandate security devices, smoke alarms, and pool
yard safeguards for dwellings of every kind, regardless
of whether they are rented or owner-occupied.
If you have a monitored security system, as a landlord, you would be wise to make it clear to the tenant
in a written lease whether the system is or is not in a
working condition. If you have such a system and don’t
intend to fix it, make sure the written lease so states.
Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for a lawsuit if the
worst happens and the tenant blames the non-working
security system. If it is a working system, give the tenant written instructions—not oral instructions—on how
to operate it. A plaintiff’s memory of oral instructions
tends to fail big time in big dollar lawsuits.
Furthermore, if you fail to comply with the statutes by
not installing the required security devices, smoke
alarms, and pool yard safeguards and if the worst
happens to your guests or your tenants or their family
due to your failure, your exposure to personal injury
lawsuits can go sky high. The good news is that you
are far better protected from lawsuit liability if you have
complied with the statutes and there is a fire or drowning accident or a criminal entry that results in personal
assault or property theft.
46. If you have a home or rental dwelling
in another state
It is relatively easy to find the statutes in other states
that require homeowners or rental dwelling owners to
install security devices, smoke alarms, or pool yard
enclosures and safety equipment.8 Regardless of
8 You shouldn’t have to spend the money on lawyers to
determine the security measures you need to follow in other
states. Just use the Internet. Input the following key phrases: “[the state’s name] landlord tenant statutes” and “[the
state’s name] smoke alarm requirements” and you should
instantly reach the laws of that state that contain the security
device and smoke alarm duties of landlords. It is 99% certain that a homeowner who complies with a state’s landlord
duties on these subjects will satisfy any separate statutory
requirements that apply only to homeowners.
19
whether such other state has statutes or state regulations on these subjects, it is quite likely that the state’s
tort law (court decisions) will impose a duty on all
residential property owners to protect their guests and
tenants with smoke alarms, pool yard enclosure/safety
equipment, and the more important security devices.
47. Knox-Boxes: A really good idea for
fire, police, and medical emergencies
Individual homeowners and, for sure, all gated communities across the country should consider participating
in the nationwide Knox-Box
program. It involves installing a special “Knox-Box”
near the entry gate of a gated community or near the
entry gate or front door or
a home. The weatherproof
Knox-Box securely holds a
key to the gate or door for
quick, reliable entry into the gated community, home,
condo, or apartment complex by emergency personnel.
Only local fire fighters, EMS, and/or police personnel
have the key for Knox-Boxes in their jurisdiction.
respect, a Knox-Box really provides a lot of peace of
mind for an occupant and his family. Installation of a
Knox-Box for a home is at the total discretion of the
homeowner.
Additionally, Knox-Boxes can significantly increase the
speed by which emergency personnel can put out a fire
or reach a person in a medical or personal safety emergency. Therefore, they can not only save the cost of
replacing a bashed-in door or gate for emergency entry,
they can also save lives. Knox-Boxes don’t interfere
with existing or future entry of homeowners via codes,
keys, or remote controls. Knox-Boxes are in common
use by thousands of cities all over the nation.
(a)
How the Knox-Box system works. The homeowner, homeowner or condominium association,
or apartment owner buys a small, lockable box
from the Knox-Box company over the Internet. It
is a weatherproof, tamperproof box about 4”x5” in
size, with a reflective strip to easily find it at night.
You securely mount the box on a wall or fence in
plain sight near the entry gate (or homeowner’s
front door) so that fire fighters, EMS, or police can
readily see it. The boxes come in a variety of colors. The final step is to ask the fire department to
come out and lock the box with their special KnoxBox key after you’ve put your own gate key, gate
combination, or house key in it. No one else can
legally have a key that opens the Knox-Box…not
even you as the homeowner, apartment owner, or
homeowner/condominium association manager.
Knox-Box keys are individualized by the manufacturer for each separate fire department throughout
the country, and a fire department’s key will open
only the Knox-Boxes in their particular city or
jurisdiction. EMS and police departments can be
provided with the fire department’s key. Military
installations and other government facilities use
Knox-Boxes extensively. The cost of a Knox-Box
for the property owner or gated community is
about $300.00.
(b)
Response time accelerated. A Knox-Box can
avoid crucial access delays for emergency responders. Speed of response is paramount. Few
people are aware that the size of a fire doubles
every minute. A one-or two-minute delay can
cause substantially greater loss from a fire—and
in some instances can avoid a fire getting so out
of control that that the entire building is lost or
adjacent buildings are put at risk. When a fire
occurs or when a person has a heart attack or
stroke, a one-minute delay can sometimes be the
difference between life or death…or a lifetime of
disability. In burglary situations, a one-minute
delay can many times be the difference between
A Knox-Box for a home can especially important when
there might be a greater need to rescue a lone occupant from a fall, fire, or heart attack without having
to break down the front door and front gate. In this
Using the phrase “[the state’s name] swimming pool
safety laws” will lead you directly to that state’s poolyard
enclosure statutes and pool safety regulations applicable to
owner-occupied homes and rental dwellings. Finding city
ordinances on these subjects, however, can be a nightmare
because city websites are often poorly organized. The easy
and painless solution is to telephone the city clerk’s office
and ask them to give you the Internet address of the ordinances on required security devices and smoke alarms for
homes and rental dwellings and the ordinances on required
poolyard fences and safety equipment for swimming pools in
owner-occupied homes and rental dwellings.
Short of such research, implementing the recommendations in this memo should give you protection and peace of
mind—with the caveat that another state’s laws may be even
require more and you will need to comply with such additional requirements. Conversely, the recommendations in
this memo may actually be more comprehensive than another
state’s requirements. Another way to painlessly accomplish
such research is to join the local apartment association,
which can inform you about all laws relating to the above
subjects for rental housing. The apartment association in
most states can also provide you with comprehensive singlefamily-dwelling lease and related forms to better protect
yourself and minimize leasing hassles.
20
preventing a crime or having someone badly hurt
or injured by criminals because of late arrival of
the police due to gated-community gates that are
locked.
Some cities have opted to put Knox-Box keys in
their police cars to enable the police to quickly get
through locked gates of gated communities. This
can be very helpful when a crime is in process
or when fire or EMS personnel are occasionally
overwhelmed by an avalanche of calls during the
same time period…and the police have to cover
for them. The Knox-Boxes can even be configured to have a switch inside that can electronically
open the gate, making entry even faster.
(c)
(d)
Drawbacks of not having a Knox-Box system.
Sometimes homeowner and condominium associations (and others) change their gate codes and
fail to inform the city. Through human error, emergency vehicles occasionally don’t have the latest
combination on their list. Each of those scenarios
can stop the emergency vehicles dead in their
tracks. Also, there’s the worry that a list could
be misplaced from one of the many emergency
vehicles that have to carry the list. That would not
only be embarrassing for the city, it could impose
financial liability on the city if really bad things
resulted from the list falling into the wrong hand or
from a crucial delay in reaching a person in desperate need of EMS services or protection against
a crime in progress. Lastly, it would seem to be
asking a lot for a fire, EMS, or police department
to (i) keep up with the combinations to hundreds
or thousands of gates or house doors, (ii) keep an
absolutely current list of all gate codes in every
emergency vehicle, and (iii) protect multiple copies of that list from accidental misplacement…or
even worse, theft of the list.
Knox-Box key security. Keys to a Knox-Box are
unique; and local locksmiths do not have the
materials or technology to reproduce them. As
an additional safeguard, the Knox-Box Company
makes a computer-controlled storage box to
protect the security of the Knox-Box key inside
each fire truck, EMS vehicle, or patrol car. The
box, called a “retention box”, is permanently affixed to the vehicle by weld or bolts. Each individual fire, EMS, or police person is given his own
separate pin number that will open the box, and
the box keeps an audit trail of who opened it and
when. An individual’s pin number is deleted if the
individual leaves the city employ or is no longer
allowed access to the Knox-box key for any reason. When opened, the box starts a strobe light
on the box to alert the responders that it has been
opened. The Knox-Box website states that construction and security standards for Knox-Boxes
comply with all applicable national codes
Therefore, the safety and security of the KnoxBox system is far, far superior to keeping a list of
gate codes in a fire truck, EMC vehicle, or patrol
car that might not be current or that could be
used by city personnel without sufficient accountability. Moreover, if a list of all gate or door codes
were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be very
bad news for all concerned.
(e)
Knox-Boxes in your city. Knox-Boxes significantly
increase the speed by which emergency personnel can put out a fire or reach a person in a medical or security emergency inside a gated community or inside a home that utilizes a Knox-Box…
and it saves the cost of replacing a bashed-in gate
or door. A Knox-Box system can also be very
beneficial for commercial buildings or fenced businesses (for example, self-storage facilities, lumber
yards, etc).. A Knox-Box system is infinitely more
secure than requiring emergency responders to
carry code lists. If your city doesn’t require KnoxBoxes for all gated communities and apartment
complexes, talk to them about it. For the city, the
Knox-Box program involves only the one-time cost
of a Knox-Box key and a “retention-box” for the
key in each emergency vehicle.
(f)
The Knox-Box website. A lot more information
is available over the Internet at “Knox-Box.com”.
The website has a comprehensive video on the
system and even has sample city ordinances to
use as a starting point for cities governments.
The sample ordinance contemplates that KnoxBoxes would be mandatory for apartment complexes and gated communities and voluntary for
individual homeowners. When adopting an ordinance, many cities delay the mandate for a year
or so to enable owners, associations, and the city
to budget for it. But if a city has already equipped
its vehicles with Knox-Box keys and the citizens
are informed about the Knox-Box system, early
voluntary utilization often occurs because the
Knox-Box system is so superior to lists of codes
and combinations.
21
Creating the Illusion that
Someone is at Home
48. Have the mail, newspapers, flyers and
packages brought in while you’re gone
Unretrieved mail, newspapers, doorknob flyers, and
packages left on the front porch send a message to
burglars that you’re gone. So when you go out of town,
ask a trusted neighbor or friend to pick up such items
daily--even if you’re gone for just one day. Alternatively, you can stop the newspaper from being delivered
while you’re gone, but you still need to have the neighbor or friend pick up the mail. OR you can sign Form
8076 to have the U.S. Postal Service hold your mail for
not less than 3 days or more than 30 days. The Postal
Service will deliver the accumulated mail to you on the
return date that you specify on the form. It is advisable
to forewarn nearby neighbor(s) if others will be using or
entering the house while you’re gone.
If solicitors or doorknob flyers seems to be a problem
in your neighborhood, consider installing a tasteful “No
Solicitors” sign near your front door in order to minimize
those problems. (See paragraph 29).
49. Have your garbage cans brought in
while you are gone
A garbage can that is taken out to the street on pickup day leads burglars to believe that you are probably
in town. A garbage can that is left out in the street for
longer than a day or two tells burglars that you are
probably out of town. Therefore, if you leave town and
the risk of crime is abnormally high in your area, consider asking a neighbor to take out your garbage cans
on garbage pick-up days…even if they’re empty. After
the garbage trucks have come and gone, have your
neighbor bring the garbage cans back in to their normal
resting place.
50. Leave a spare car in the driveway.
When you’re out of town, leave your spare car or ask
your neighbor to leave their spare care in your driveway to enhance the illusion that you’re at home.
51. Leave the curtains open or closed?
There are both advantages and disadvantages of
leaving the curtains open or closed when you’re gone.
Whether they should be left open or closed may be
handled differently in different situations, depending on
the facts and personal preferences.
If you leave all curtains open all the time, the sight of
any valuable objects through the windows can tempt
the snatch-and-flee burglars, especially if it appears
that the occupants are gone and unlikely to return any
time soon. On the other hand, if you leave all curtains
closed all the time, it may also lead some criminals to
assume no one is there since 24 hours of continuous
closed curtains usually means that the occupants have
gone out of town. If you close all the living room and
dining room curtains but fail to close the downstairs
bedroom curtains, it will add to the burglars belief that
you’re gone if he looks through the bedroom window
and sees no signs of life.
One hybrid idea is to close the bedroom curtains when
you will be gone for long periods but leave the nonbedroom curtains open and purposely do things to give
those areas a “lived-in” look—like leaving a lamp or two
on timers, a newspaper open on a table, a sweater on
the back of a chair, glasses on end tables, or radios
or TVs on. Consider activating a bedroom lamp timer
or two before you leave. All of the foregoing will leave
the impression that someone is at home or may not be
gone for long.
52. Use timers for lamps, radios and TVs
Put a mechanical timer on a table lamp somewhere in
your home ($10.00). Set it to come on automatically
for several hours each evening
after dark. This will likely fool the
burglar into thinking someone is
home when in fact everyone is
gone. Two or three different lamps
in different rooms with timers set
at slightly different hours may fool
him even more. Connecting a
radio or TV to a timer also gives
the illusion that someone is at
home. Some people even leave a
TV on continuously when they are gone to help mislead
a potential burglar. Timers that are set by manually
pulling small tabs around clock-type dial are best. The
electronic ones are difficult to operate and the batteries
can run down. Timers that randomly turn a lamp on at
different times at night are also available ($10.00).
53. Avoid mistakes when utilizing
answering machines and call forwarding
If an experienced burglar wants to know whether
anyone is staying at your home, all he has to do is get
your phone number and call it. If he has your street address, it’s a simple matter for him to find your name and
home telephone number—unless your phone number
is unlisted. When the burglar calls your number, if the
phone continues to ring without being answered by a
person or by an answering machine (or voice mail),
he’ll know the coast is clear if he acts quickly. But if an
answering machine answers, he worries that you might
be in the shower or talking on another line or taking
22
a nap after turning off the ringer. Obviously, then, an
answering machine or voice mail is a good thing to
have. However, you may want to avoid answering machine greetings that include phrases implying that no
one is at home, like “We’re gone right now” or “No one
is available to answer the phone right now.” It would
seem safer to say something like “We can’t get to the
phone right now, so please leave a message”.
One alternative to an answering machine is to utilize
the call-forwarding capability on your home phone.
It effectively intercepts the call to your home phone
number and seamlessly forwards it to your cell phone
number or any other number you choose. Most phone
companies offer that service.
Security Procedures While
You’re at Home
54. Keep entry doors secure day and night
To the extent practical, keep all entry doors secured
with your single-cylinder deadbolts and sliding door
security pins at all times, day and night, while you’re
at home. At night and when you leave home, engage
the sliding glass door security bar. It will soon become
a habit and second nature for you and your family to
follow these procedures. If dishonest workers notice
that you leave your car keys on the counter or table top
near an entry door, they can be tempted to come back
late at night when you are asleep, check to see if the
door is unlocked, quickly enter if it is, take the car keys,
and steal your car.
55. Use caution when answering the door
Don’t answer the door without first looking through the
peephole or window pane to see who is there. (See
paragraph 5 on peepholes). Don’t ever open the door
for strangers. Train your children and grandchildren
accordingly. If you feel a need to open the door to talk
to non-uniformed strangers in order to be polite or sign
a receipt for a package or certified mail, install a chain
latch so the door can open only part way to talk and/
or sign. The door will then be secure from a surprise
forced entry by the stranger, but you’ll still be able to
talk to him and pass paper and pens back and forth to
sign for packages, etc.
56. Keep house windows latched or install
security nails
One of the common entry points for burglars is an
unlatched window or partially open window. Therefore,
you need to keep your windows latched at all times
when you are gone; or if they need to be partially open
for ventilation, follow the recommendations for installing
window security nails in the window tracts to prevent
the windows from opening enough for a person to crawl
in. (See paragraph 24).
57. Keep vehicles locked, with windows
rolled up
Keep your vehicle doors and trunks locked and the
windows rolled up—except for small breather spaces in
the window if the vehicle is in the sun. Small breather
spaces will keep your vehicle from heating up, keep
the rain from getting in, and prevent the burglars from
reaching in to unlock the vehicle door. Keep your vehicles locked even in the daytime.
58. Don’t leave valuables visible in
vehicles or carports
Did you know that most theft from homes is from unlocked vehicles, open garages, and carports? Never
leave anything visible inside your vehicle or truck bed
overnight that might be considered valuable to a burglar. Power equipment, bicycles, golf clubs, and other
items that can be easily pawned are favorite targets for
burglars to steal from an open garage or carport. If sufficiently tempted by pawnable items he sees, there is a
much greater chance that the burglar might steal it right
then and there.
59. Keep garage overhead doors closed as
much as possible
Keep your garage doors closed except when necessary. Keeping them closed makes it more difficult for
thieves to see and quickly snatch stuff. Additionally,
your neighbors will appreciate how much nicer your
home and the neighborhood looks with the garage
doors closed. Another idea is to have a lockable closet
or cabinet in the garage for storage of valuable power
tools, thereby posing another barrier for the potential
thief.
60. Protect the remote control(s) for your
garage overhead door from theft
The security of your home is in jeopardy if your garage
door opener (remote control) is stolen. If you are not at
home and a smart criminal has stolen your opener from
your vehicle when it is unlocked or has a window rolled
down too far, he can find out your address by what’s in
your glove compartment or by following you home or
by obtaining your address from the Texas Department
of Transportation, using your vehicle license number. If
he gets inside your garage while you’re gone, he can
then close the garage door and take his time about
breaking past a well-locked pedestrian door into the
house.
23
Therefore:
• Protect your garage door remote controls as if they
were keys to the front door of your home.
through your windows. Trim nearby trees high for the
same purpose. The foregoing applies to windows on
all sides of your home.
• Store your spare remotes in a lockable key cabinet,
just like storing your extra keys.
63. Be wary of putting your name on
mailboxes, doormats or gates
• Be sure the door from the garage into the house
has the same set of locks that your front door has.
If you disclose your name by putting it on mailboxes,
doormats, or gates, the burglar can write your name
down, look in the telephone directory to see what address matches your name, and call your phone number to see if anyone is at home…and then he knows
whether the coast is clear for a possible burglary.
• If you leave for long periods, put the wall switch for
the overhead garage door in the “lock” mode.
• If your car has been stolen, put the wall switch in
the “lock” mode until you have a service person
come out and reprogram the motor and all remotes
with a new code.
• When you sell your vehicle, be sure to retrieve your
portable garage door openers from the sun visor
and/or glove box; and if your overhead door code
was programmed into your sun visor, delete the
code from the visor before giving possession of the
vehicle to the buyer.
Don’t try to secure the overhead door with the manual
slidebolt on the door. Most overhead garage doors
have a permanently-attached slidebolt installed on the
right or left side of the overhead door so the door can
be locked if the motor fails. The slidebolt can be manually slid sideways into an opening in the stationary roller
tract to keep the door from being opened by anyone’s
remote control.
Caveat: If you engage the slidebolt and then try to
open the overhead door at the wall switch, get ready for
a big bill from the overhead door repairman. Because
of this potential motor damage, most overhead door
installers purposely rig the slidebolt so it can’t be used
without going to a bit of trouble with wrenches; but the
slidebolts can still be made operational if the overhead
motor ever fails.
61. Keep it out of sight
Keep guns and jewelry out of sight of construction
workers, repairmen, delivery persons, or service personnel who come into your home. As stated before,
don’t leave easily pawnable items such a laptops,
iPods, iPads, cell phones, portable CD players, etc. in
plain view through downstairs windows when everyone’s gone. If you do, it tells the burglar that it may be
worth the risk of breaking into your home and stealing
them right then or coming back later to steal them.
62. Keep vegetation trimmed back from
windows
Even worse, now there is a free Internet service
that will tell him the name and phone number of the
person(s) living at your address. The website acts just
like a criss-cross directory. A sophisticated criminal can
input any street address into the website and nearly
every time he will be able to find out who lives there
and what their home phone number is (unless it’s an
unlisted number). He can then call it to see if anyone is
at home—all the more reason to implement the security
recommendations in this memo.
64. Re-key if necessary
If you lose your purse or billfold that had your house
key in it or if your keys are missing and you suspect
they were stolen by someone who knows the keys
belong to you, you need to bite the bullet and re-key all
exterior door locks pronto. Until you re-key, be sure to
use the keyless deadbolts when feasible while you are
inside the house, day and night.
65. Keep a personal alarm and cell phone
handy at night
A personal alarm ($15.00) is a matchbook size alarm
that has a shrill and deafening noise that will scare
off most nearby intruders
when you pull the pin on
the alarm. It is reassuring
to have one handy on your
bedside table at night, as
well as whenever you take a
stroll by yourself outside at
anytime, day or night. Surf
the Internet for personal
alarms at “HughesSecuritySolutions.com”. Charge
your cell phone at your bedside table at night in order
to have it quickly available to call 911 in emergency. If
you have a remote control for your barking dog alarm
(if any), it should be kept handy at your bedside table
well.
Keep hedges next to windows trimmed low so a burglar
can’t get behind them and hide while he is breaking
24
Crime-related
Communication
dures in more homes in the neighborhood and in other
areas of the city.
66. Report to police
Email reports from SpotCrime to participating citizens
appear to be an excellent tool for a police department
of any size to: (1) raise crime prevention awareness
and encourage individuals to increase security measures in their own homes and apartments, and (2) get
the attention of the younger set who may be uninformed or naively confident that they are bulletproof
from the criminal elements of society. (We were all
there once!)
Immediately report criminal acts and suspicious activities to the police and to your neighborhood crime-watch
captain if you have one. License numbers, vehicle
types and colors, physical descriptions, and tattoos are
especially helpful to the police. The police departments
really need the eyes and ears of the entire community
to keep them informed.
67. Communicate with neighbors
Volunteer to help your neighbors when they are out of
town. Consider giving trusted neighbors your house
key or the combination to your outside key safe. Attend
any crime prevention seminars of your homeowners or
condominium association. Some neighborhoods have
developed their own neighborhood watch or email list
to quickly alert others of suspicious activities.
68. Sign up for SpotCrime.com
“SpotCrime.com” is a free Internet service that reports
on recent crimes in all neighborhoods of every city that
reports crimes to SpotCrime. Any city of any size can
provide their crime-occurrence information to SpotCrime. Most all large and many small cities participate.
Here’s how it works: You (or any other members of the
public) sign up on SpotCrime’s website, for no cost.
Then SpotCrime automatically notifies you by email
of any crimes recently occurring within the radius you
have chosen, such as 1, 2, or 5 miles from your home.
SpotCrime’s emails to you are as frequent as your local
police department reports the crimes to SpotCrime,
which normally is only a day or two after the occurrence of the crime(s). So the emails you receive from
SpotCrime are current data, assuming prompt reporting by the police department. Each email report to
you includes a street map of the area you’ve chosen,
pinpointing the block but not the exact address where
the crime(s) occurred. No victim names are included.
In the emails, SpotCrime categorizes the crimes as:
“Arrest”, “Arson”, “Assault”, “Burglary”, “Robbery”,
“Shooting”, “Theft”, “Vandalism”, or “Other.”
When a homeowner signs up for SpotCrime, the free
email reports from SpotCrime thereafter serve as
periodic reminders about the need for crime prevention measures in the homeowner’s own home and in
his neighborhood. That increased attention to crime
prevention then spreads to other neighbors and their
friends in other parts of the city with whom they talk...
which should lead to better security devices and proce-
Participation in SpotCrime involves no cost to the local
police department, which can easily report the crime
occurrences in their city to SpotCrime by (i) email, (ii)
administrative access, which means direct computer
input into SpotCrime’s system by the police department, or (iii) FTP, which means “File Transfer Protocol” in geek language. SpotCrime has indicated that
virtually all large and small police departments in the
central Texas counties of Travis and Hays forward their
crime-occurrence information to SpotCrime.
Some Final Thoughts
69. Priority if funds are limited
If cost is a limiting factor in your security measures, the
less-expensive ideas in this memo are probably more
important and a better investment of your time and
money than a monitored security system. Install all of
the other protections in the memo first…then graduate
to a monitored system when you can afford it. If you
already have a monitored system, you will be better
protected if you also implement other security recommendations in the memo.
70. Smart burglars who case your home
from the inside
An experienced burglar who cases homes in advance
will observe many of the security devices in your home
and decide how prepared you are. The person actually observing the extent of your security may even be
a scout for the burglar rather than the burglar himself.
They can observe a lot during construction work, repair
work, carpet cleaning, window washing, housework,
deliveries, appliance servicing, pest control, yard maintenance, etc.
If your home appears well equipped from a security
standpoint, the potential burglar or his “scout” will
likely decide to tackle some other house whose owner
is much less prepared. As discussed earlier, those
appearances can include: keyless and single-cylinder
deadbolts, sliding door security pins and security bars,
25
window latches, exterior gate locks, keyed locks on
some cabinets and drawers, a visible security system
control panel (real or fake), visible outside security
cameras (real or fake), multiple window decals (real or
fake), security company signs in the front yard and at
the waterfront (real or fake), and a high-security safe or
security-security safe.
75. Insurance premium savings
71. Illusions as second line of defense
76. Insurance claims after a burglary
Despite your preparedness, if your home is still a
tempting target in the burglar’s mind, your next defenses are the illusions that someone is home. As
discussed earlier, those illusions can include: (1) no
accumulation of mail, newspapers, flyers, or packages,
(2) use of timers for lamps, radios, or TVs, (3) motion
sensors for outside lighting and waterfront floodlights,
(4) motion sensors for barking dog alarms, (5) spare
car in the driveway, (6) telephone answering machines,
voice mail, or call forwarding for your home’s landline,
(7) careful language in your answering machine greeting, (8) taking garbage cans out to the street when
you’re gone, (9) not leaving garbage cans on the street
too long, (10) hiding or disguising things that can easily
seen through the windows, and (11) paying proper attention to curtains when you are gone for long periods.
72. Vacation or second homes
When many people know that your home is a second
home or vacation home, it would seem even more
important to have sufficient security devices and to
implement the security illusions mentioned above—in
addition to locking up tight and engaging the “lock”
switch on your overhead garage door when you leave.
73. Home improvement stores and the
Internet
Before you buy security products through the Internet,
first explore what’s available at your local home improvement stores. Exploring those stores over their
websites is a quick and inexpensive way to do it. After
checking out the home improvement stores, surf the
Internet with the key phrases referred to in this memo.
Home security websites on the Internet contain many
interesting security devices not even mentioned in this
memo.
74. Homeowner and condominium
associations
If you are a member of a homeowner or condominium
association, encourage the association to get heavily
involved in security awareness, education, and communication. Spread the word about SpotCrime.com. If
you have no association, recruit a few other motivated
neighbors to join you in making your neighborhood
more savvy on security.
Consider giving a list of all the security devices on your
home to your insurance agent so he can forward the
list to the underwriter (the insurance carrier). If your
insurance agent and underwriter know how thorough
the security and fire protections are in your home, you
will likely obtain some significant premium reductions.
It’s not enough to simply have theft insurance. After a
massive burglary or big fire, it is nearly impossible to
remember every single item you’ve lost. You need to
be prepared in advance to prove to your insurance carrier what was taken and to show evidence of its quality and value. A little forethought goes a long way on
insurance claims.
The easiest, simplest way to do this is to use a video
camera to walk through every room in your house
and garage and take a continuous panoramic video of
everything you can see. Don’t forget to video the items
of significant value in your drawers, cabinets, closets,
and safes. Store the video to an off-site location to
protect against possible computer crash or fire loss of
the video.
Some cameras even allow you to annotate the video
with oral commentary as you are taking the video so
you can simultaneously describe things, talk about
where and when you purchased them, what you paid
for them, and what special or sentimental value they
may have. Some newer cell phones have video capability, but most can’t email anything but a very short
video because so much of the phone’s limited memory
is used up in recording a video.
The credibility of your “loss” list and your statement of
values can be easily disputed by the insurance company—but not if you have videos or still photos of the
property you claim was destroyed or stolen.
77. Gift to your children and grandchildren
Teaching the youngsters in your family to always think
ahead and focus on consequences of doing and not
doing things is one of the greatest gifts you can give
them. Consider the idea of training them, bit by bit on
a daily basis when the time is right, on personal safety
and property protection at home. Giving the children
the “reasons” why you have certain security devices
and follow certain safety procedures seems to be essential for the training to really stick, in this author’s
experience.
26
78. You are your primary protector
Obviously, the police cannot be expected to protect everyone’s home at every moment. Because of budget,
manpower, and distance limitations, as well as frequent
emergencies elsewhere, it is impossible for the police
and fire departments to be as protective as you can be
for your home and your family.
You are the one primarily responsible for protection
against theft, burglary, personal assault, and fire by using good security devices and preventive procedures.
Hopefully, the memo can be used as a guide for you to
implement, over a period of time, the ideas you believe
are best for you, your family, and your home.
27
SUBJECT INDEX
Paragraph
Subject
Number
Answering machines ............................................................53
Answering the door ..............................................................55
Arm/disarm notices (for real or fake security systems) .......18
Avoid double-cylinder deadbolts .........................................10
Avoid lockable doorknobs ...................................................11
Backplates .......................................................................8, 11
Barking dog alarms ..............................................................22
Battering rams (handheld)......................................................1
Burglar bars on windows .....................................................44
Burglar-proof safes ..............................................................33
Cabinet latches .....................................................................39
Cabinet locks........................................................................38
Call forwarding ....................................................................53
Cameras (security) ...............................................................16
Cell phones...........................................................................65
Chain latches ..........................................................................1
Chainlink fences...................................................................19
Childproof latches ................................................................39
Common law or city safety standards for pools...................41
Communicate with neighbors ..............................................68
Condominium associations ..................................................74
Curtains open? or closed? ....................................................51
Dangers of double-cylinder deadbolts .................................10
Dangers of lockable doorknobs ...........................................11
Deadbolt .................................................................................1
Decals...................................................................................17
Diversion safes .....................................................................36
Dog and cat doors ................................................................25
Door hinge pins ......................................................................8
Doorframe nails (in lieu of pins) ............................................8
Doorframe pins ......................................................................8
Doorhandle latch for sliding glass doors ...............................3
Doorviewers ...........................................................................5
Double-cylinder deadbolts ...................................................10
Drawer latches .....................................................................39
Drawer locks ........................................................................38
Exterior gate locks. .......................................................12, 14
Flyers....................................................................................48
Garage door (hinged door into house), security devices........6
Garage doors (overhead), “lock” mode ...............................26
Garage doors (overhead), keep closed .................................59
Garbage cans brought in while you are gone .......................49
Gates locks ...........................................................................19
Glass break alarms. ........................................................12, 14
Glass door panels .............................................................2, 10
Grandparent doorlock protection for toddlers......................37
High-security safes...............................................................33
Home improvement stores and the Internet .........................73
Homeowner association pools .............................................40
Homeowner associations .....................................................74
House key safe (outside) ......................................................31
House keys, precautions.......................................................28
If you have a home or rental dwelling in another state ........46
If your home backs up to a lake or river. .............................27
Illusions as second line of defense .......................................71
Insurance claims after a burglary .........................................76
Insurance premium savings..................................................75
Keep a personal alarm and cell phone handy at night .........65
Keep entry doors secure day and night ................................54
Keep garage overhead doors closed as much as possible ....59
Keep house windows latched or install security nails .........56
Keep valuables out of sight ............................................58, 61
Keep vegetation trimmed back from windows ....................62
Keep vehicles locked, with windows rolled up ...................57
Key cabinet for storage of multiple or spare keys ...............32
Keyless deadbolts...................................................................1
Key safes (outside) ...............................................................31
Kicking in doors.....................................................................1
Knox Boxes..........................................................................47
Lakes and rivers ...................................................................27
Landlord obligations regarding locks ..................................45
Latchbolt ................................................................................2
Leave the curtains open? or closed? ....................................51
Lockable doorknobs .............................................................11
Mail ......................................................................................48
Minimum-security safes.......................................................34
Monitored security alarms (fake) .........................................13
Monitored security alarms (real), bells and whistles ...........14
Monitored security alarms (real), burglar deterrence...........14
Monitored security alarms (real), emergency help function 14
Monitored security alarms (real), smoke detector function .14
Motion sensors for exterior and interior lighting .................21
Multiple key storage ............................................................32
Names on mailboxes, doormats, or gates.............................63
Neighbor watch ....................................................................68
Newspapers ..........................................................................48
Nighttime lighting operated by photocells ...........................20
No Solicitors (sign) ..............................................................29
Non-monitored security alarm systems ...............................12
Overhead garage doors, “lock” mode ..................................26
Packages...............................................................................48
Padlocks ...............................................................................19
Peepholes ...............................................................................5
Personal alarms ....................................................................65
Pet doors...............................................................................25
Photo cells ............................................................................20
Pistol safes ...........................................................................35
Police....................................................................................66
Pools...............................................................................40. 41
Poolyard enclosures (fences) ...............................................41
Precautions with house keys ................................................28
Priority if funds are limited ..................................................69
Rate-of-rise heat detectors ...................................................43
Rekey if necessary ...............................................................64
Rekeying ..............................................................................64
Remote control,garage overhead door .................................31
Remote control, garage overhead door, protect from theft ..60
Rent houses in another state .................................................46
Renting your dwelling......................................................4, 45
Report to police ....................................................................66
28
Paragraph
Subject
Number
Safes .....................................................................................16
Safes, diversion ....................................................................36
Safes, high security ..............................................................33
Safes, key (outside) ..............................................................31
Safes, minimum security......................................................34
Safes, pistol ..........................................................................35
Safety standards for swimming pools and wading pools .....41
Screws for backplates ............................................................9
Screws for chain latches.........................................................1
Second homes ......................................................................72
Secyrity bars for sliding glass doors ......................................4
Security bars for swinging (hinged) doors .......................4, 23
Security cameras (real or fake). ...........................................16
Security pins for sliding glass doors ......................................3
Security procedures while you‘re home ..............................54
Sideyard gates ......................................................................19
Single-cylinder deadbolts.................................................2, 10
Sliding glass door security bars .............................................4
Sliding glass door security pins .............................................3
Small key safes mounted outside .........................................31
Smoke alarms .......................................................................43
Solicitors ..............................................................................29
Spare car in driveway...........................................................50
Spare key storage, key cabinet .............................................32
SpotCrime.com ....................................................................68
Strikeplates.............................................................................9
Surface bolts.........................................................................23
Swimming pools ..................................................................40
Telephone cables ..................................................................30
Texas Health and Safety Code .............................................40
Texas Poolyard Enclosure Statute ........................................40
Texas Property Code ............................................................45
Threshold surface bolts for swinging (hinged) doors ..........23
Timers for lamps, radios, and TVs .......................................52
Turtle wristband alarm for toddlers near home pools ..........42
Vacation homes ....................................................................72
Valuables, visible in vehicles or carports ............................61
Vegetation trimming.............................................................62
Vehicles, keep locked and windows up................................57
Ventilation windows.............................................................24
Wading pools........................................................................40
Window alarms ....................................................................12
Window latches ......................................................................7
Window security nails ..........................................................24
Windows ..............................................................................24
Yard signs .............................................................................17
You are your primary protector ............................................78
29

Here`s

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