Tips From Pleasant Hill PD For Keeping Your Home Safe This Summer

As the weather continues to get warmer, the city of Pleasant Hill tends to experience more residential burglaries. In the first three months of 2012, over the same period last year, according to statistics from the Pleasant Hill Police Department.  

Here are a few tips to protect your home from a residential burglary. 

Installation of motion sensor lights in dark areas around your home will help prevent prowlers from hiding. 

• Shrubs and Bushes should be trimmed neatly so there is no place for someone to hide. 

• Every exterior door should have a bright, working light to illuminate the exterior of your entrance. 

• When gone for the evening turn on exterior lights and leave interior lights on, or install timers on interior lights to make it look like someone is home. 

• For emergency personnel make sure the street numbers of your residence are clear and visible for a quick response from emergency personnel. 

• All doors are locked and secured at night and every time you leave the house. 

• Exterior doors are solid hardwood or metal clad. 

• The front door feature should have wide angle peepholes at heights everyone can use. 

• All entryways have a working, keyed entry lock with a sturdy deadbolt installed into the frame. 

• Spare keys are not kept in usual places such as under planter or under door mats. 

• Garage doors should always be closed and locked. 

• Store tools and ladders out of sight and locked away. 

• Leave a vehicle parked in your driveway or in front of your house. 

• Do not leave a message on your answering machine indicating that you are on vacation. 

• Be careful of dog doors, and never keep your doors open for dogs to come in and out of your home. 

When away from your residence for an extended time period: 

• Use at least two interior timers for your lights to turn on and off, making it appear as someone is inside of your residence. 

• Purchase an alarm system or install motion detector lights to be left on while you’re away from your residence. 

• Have mail and newspaper deliveries picked up by a trusted friend or neighbor. 

• Have a neighbor or friends tend to the residence while away. 

• Notify your local police department of your vacation, and ask them to perform random vacation checks of your house. 

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