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Crime Prevention Tips

Burglary is always a crime of opportunity. Here are some interesting facts you should know about burglary:

Studies show that most burglars attack during the daytime when dense bushes and trees protect them from view, and the building appears unoccupied
One-third of burglars enter from the basement
One-third of burglars force entry through a window or door
One-third of burglars gain access from an unlocked/open door or window
To best protect your home, look at it from a burglar's perspective. What are the vulnerable parts? If you take a few simple and inexpensive steps to make sure your home is not an attractive target, you'll greatly reduce your chances of becoming a victim.

Home Fire SafetyAre you prepared?

Here are actions you can take to prevent or be ready for emergencies.
Install a smoke detector on each floor and check the batteries twice a year. For example, New Year's Day and Canada Day.
If you live in a high-rise, have duct tape handy to seal the doorway from smoke.
Have your furnace inspected and cleaned every year.
Hold a fire drill, showing everyone how to stay low and exit from the dwelling.
Do not keep combustible materials, such as newspapers, after you have finished with them. Flammable liquids should be stored in a cool, ventilated place away from any source of heat.
If you have a fireplace, have the chimney cleaned regularly.
If you have a wood stove have it inspected for clearances and acceptability.

Home Security Checklist

Doors

Entrance doors should have a solid core
Doors should fit tightly into door jambs and strike plates must be secure
Install a wide-angle peep hole
If hinge pins are outside, they should be non-removable
When closed, sliding doors need a metal bar to fill the inside track
Locks on the inside of the door should be at least 40 inches from glass
Locks should be replaced after you take possession of your new home
Use deadbolt locks that extend at least one inch into the strike plate

Windows

Metal windows need a lock or metal bar in addition to a catch
Basement windows should be Plexiglas or have security bars
Windows left open for ventilation should be secured
Curtains or blinds should fully cover windows
Air conditioners should be secured from the inside

Exterior

Keep shrubs cut below window level
Your house number should be easily visible from the street
Make sure front and back doorways are well lit or spot lit
Keep bicycles, lawn mowers, and other gear inside and out of sight
Join a Neighbourhood Watch and Operation Identification, and display the decals on your front and back doors

Garage

Keep your garage door closed and locked when not in use
Remove vehicle keys and lock vehicles in the garage
Have a light inside the garage

Around your apartment

Open the lobby door only for people you know. Unknown or suspicious persons should be reported to the building superintendent
Use your initials and last name to identify yourself on the lobby list
If you are out, arrange for deliveries to be received by the building superintendent or a neighbour
When moving in, have the superintendent change the locks
Check the elevator before you enter it and stay near the control panel
Do not go into laundry rooms alone
Check your car before entering it
Keep your car locked and remove any valuable portable items
Do not store valuable items in an apartment locker

Alarms

Alarms monitored 24 hours by a Central Alarm Station service are recommended and may qualify for an insurance premium discount
Alarms should protect the full perimeter of your residence

Your personal safety

Do not open the door until you confirm the person's identity
If somebody asks to use your phone, have them wait outside while you make the call for them
Do not give out personal information to telephone solicitors
If you arrive home and suspect a break-in, leave and call the police
Never indicate that you're not home on your telephone answering machine
If you lose your keys, change your locks. Your policy has coverage assistance to replace lost/stolen keys

Fuse and Circuit Breaker Maintenance

The fuse is an electrical safety valve. If too much current passes through it, a wire inside melts and stops the flow of current. When a fuse blows, it's a sign of danger.
Either the line has been overloaded, or there s a break in the wires along the wall (in an appliance cord, a switch or inside the wall). If you are blowing fuses again and again, don't just change them. You could have a fire waiting to happen. Call in an electrical contractor to look at your system and evaluate if you are overloading it. Unless you know what you're doing, don't try to solve a wiring problem yourself.
Faulty wiring is an extreme fire hazard, and no work for an amateur. Never over-fuse, for example by replacing a 15-amp fuse with a 20-amp one to try to meet an added power demands. Because 20 and 30-amp fuses are more powerful, people assume that they are making a safe electrical move, but your wiring itself is incapable of accommodating that additional demand.
Almost all the fuses in your fuse box should be 15-amp. If there's a 20 or 30-amp fuse already in there, don't automatically replace it with the same amp fuse when it blows. The previous homeowner may have replaced a 15-amp fuse with a 20 or 30 way back when, and the mistake kept being repeated.
Don't overload a single circuit with too many appliances. Plug all appliances -- not just refrigerators and microwaves, but kettles and electric frying pans too -- directly into the wall, never into an extension cord.
When you're renovating you electrical system, putting up major new lighting, or adding extra appliances to your circuits, don't forget to have you local power company or inspection authority check the work.

Power Bar Safety Tips

It's not a status place to drink, a nutritious snack, or a piece of exercise equipment. But the power bar is a way to offer protection for your electrical equipment.
The power bar, also known as a power strip or multi-outlet strip, is a bar with several outlets for plugs, providing a safer alternative to extension cords for electrical appliances or equipment.
The power bar's main advantage over extension cords is that it protects you against power line surges. These surges are momentary over-voltages -- up to several thousand volts, lasting just a few millionths of a second.
Power surges can cause severe damage to your electrical equipment, and be extremely harmful to computer equipment.
A power bar with a circuit breaker, however, shuts off the power in the event of a surge or a brief line overload. Afterwards, you simply press the re-set button on the bar.
Make sure that your bar has a breaker and re-set button Without those two items the bar is really just another extension cord, and offers no protection from power surges or overloads.
Some power bars are intended for general use, and others for appliances and computers. Read the packaging carefully.
As with any electrical cord, use the power bar only in a dry location.
Cover any unused receptacles so that metal object can't be accidentally poked into the slots. Better yet, place safety prongs into the receptacles, especially if there are children around.
When plugging any item into the power bar, never run the cord under a carpet or rug, or along a doorway. The wear and tear could fray the insulation and expose the bare wire, creating a fire hazard.
When removing a plug from the bar, grip it firmly and pull. Don't yank on the cord.
Inspect the power bar regularly for signs of wear, and replace it if it appears worn or broken.

Lighting For Safety

A light bulb over the head is a sign of a bright idea. And the simple light bulb can be just that -- a bright idea for safety around the home, if it's burning at the right time and in the right place.
Accidental falls are among the common types of home accidents, and the leading cause of injuries in the home. For stairways that are commonly dimly lit or dark -- such as the basement or cellar -- consider a motion-sensitive light.
As soon as you reach the staircase, the light goes on, ensuring that you can see you way and helping to prevent mis-steps.
There's nothing wrong with mood lighting. But the main lighting in a room should let you see what you're doing and where you're going.
Use bulbs with sufficient wattage (but never more that the lamp or fixture is made for), and don't turn dimmer lights so low that you risk tripping over or bumping into unseen obstacles.
At night, use a nightlight so you can find your way safely to the bathroom or down the hall while you're still adjusting your vision. Or simply leave the bathroom light on.
Use a timer for your lights so that the home looks occupied when you're not there. With some timers, you can program your lights to come on at different times each day, so a would-be burglar can't detect any patterns.
Keep the outside lights on at night. Burglars always prefer the darkness, because it hides their activities. a motion-sensitive floodlight outdoors can be especially useful in shining a spotlight on an intruder.
The outside light also lets you see who is at the door when you look through the peephole, and helps you spot any intruders lurking nearby when you arrive home at night.
Encourage your neighbors to keep their outside lights on too.
Make sure that your street address is lit enough to be visible from the road. That makes it easier for the police, a fire truck, or an ambulance to find your house quickly in an emergency.
Have a flashlight or candles handy in case of a blackout. Don't forget extra batteries and the matches.

Extension Cord Safety

Fire departments and power companies like to warn homeowners about the dangers of spaghetti junctions or octopus wiring. That's when you create a maze of extension cords, plugs, and wires. The added load on your electrical system can cause a fire.
The problem is evident around holiday time, when you string up tree lights. The lights may not look that powerful, but when you add them up, you may be unduly stressing your system. To avoid overloading, try a safe power bar, with several outlets and a circuit breaker.
If you're short of outlets, it could be a sign that your wiring is outdated. Call an electrician to evaluate your system and to install new outlets.
When using extension cords, make sure that the current rating (in amps or A) or your light string (or whatever else you're plugging in) doesn't exceed the extension cord's rating. If the product's current rating is higher than the extension cord's, the cord could overheat.
Don't bunch mini Christmas lights together -- the excessive heat could melt the insulation and expose live wires. Metal tree ornaments could also pose a shock hazard if they make contact with frayed wiring.
If you have an appliance with a polarized plug (one prong wider than the other) make sure the extension cord you use is also polarized. Avoid three-way plugs, the ones with receptacles for prongs on either side or the front. The extension cord you plug into it may not be heavy enough.
It's important to keep extension cords out of the way so they don't become a tripping hazard. But don't wrap or bunch them together. Without enough space between them they can overheat and ignite nearby rugs, curtains, or paper. Never run cords under carpets or across doorways, where they can overheat or become worn.
Check all cords and plugs for fraying, cracks, or loose connections. When in doubt, replace old cords.
There is no set rule on how many extension cords you can link together. But the longer the cord, the greater the voltage drops; you may end up with insufficient power.
Extension cords are usually appropriate only on temporary or portable pieces of equipment. That makes them fine for your Christmas lights, for example, but unacceptable for a refrigerator or other major appliance.

Tips for Inside your Home

The goal of indoor crime proofing is to secure your premises, and to make them appear occupied at all times. Here are a few simple tips:

Secure your premises.

Close blinds and curtains at night so that a burglar can't scope your belongings.
Lock all doors and windows before leaving.
Lock windows so that they can't be opened from the outside. If they can't be locked, you can pin them by drilling a hole through both window frames and inserting a bolt or metal pin. The pin must be easily removable for emergency situations.
Home burglar alarm systems are a great deterrent. Even if you have an alarm system, don't neglect the other security measures available to you. An alarm provides an extra layer of security, but is no replacement for good common sense. Alarm owners should still do what they can to make sure their home is not an attractive target for thieves.

Make your home look occupied at all times.

Use timers to maintain normal lighting patterns.
Leave a radio on when you are away from your home for short periods of time.

Protect your valuables.

Consider marking your valuables indelibly (engraved) with your drivers licence or social insurance number.
Take an inventory of your home with a videotape and/or photographs.
Keep jewellery and negotiables in a safety deposit box or an unlikely place (i.e. Not your bedroom).

Tips for Outside Your Home

There are many things that you can do to the exterior of your house or in the yard to deter burglars and make it more difficult to force entry.

Keep your shrubbery cut back so that it doesn't block windows and doors.
Secure window air conditioners from the inside.
Illuminate as much of your property as possible.
Exterior doors should be solid, not hollow. Metal doors provide the best protection against forced entry.
Use a fencing style that would not conceal a burglar's activities. Remember if you can't see out, others can't see in.
Secure any glass that is less than 40' from a door lock. Either coat exterior glass with an acrylic or polycarbonate to strengthen, or replace with laminated or tempered glass.
Door hinges that are on the outside should have a non-removable center pin that can't be tampered with.
Install deadbolt locks.
Dogs are great deterrents to burglars. Even a strategically placed "Beware of Dog" sticker can make a burglar think twice. Of course, vicious dogs are never a good idea. If your dog bites someone, you might find yourself in court. A dog that barks is better than one that bites.
Place hinged security bars over basement windows. Remember to keep the key nearby for emergency exits.
Pin sliding patio doors together when closed. Another easy security step is to drill a hole in the upper track and insert a screw that extends out into the runner to prevent the door from being lifted up and out of its track.
Ensure that a burglar cannot access the roof from high trees or a ladder left outside.

What NOT to Do

Don't put up a nameplate outside of your house with your full name. A burglar can use this information to look up your number in the phone book and call to see if you are home.
Don't leave a note on the door or in the mailbox telling a friend/family member that you aren't home.
Don't leave spare keys in an obvious place such as the mailbox or under the front door mat. This makes it very easy for a burglar to rob your house quickly without forcing entry.
Don't leave cash and handbags in view in your home.
Don't leave any doors unlocked when you are at the other end of the house or in the yard.

Going on Vacation

If you are going on vacation it is especially important to make your home appear inhabited. To fully protect your home you will need to enlist the help of trusted neighbours, family and friends. Here are some things that you can do:

Stop all mail delivery.
Arrange for a neighbour to cut the grass or shovel snow.
Cancel all deliveries during the time you will be away.
Maintain normal lighting patterns by using electronic timers.
Ask a neighbour to put one of their garbage bags in front of your house on collection day.
Leave a radio on, with a timer if necessary to simulate normal use.
Ask a neighbour to park in your driveway.
Arrange for neighbours to pick up flyers.
Don't talk about your vacation plans with strangers or service people.
Use your work address on your luggage tags so a potential burglar won't know where your empty house is.
If practical, remove valuables from your home. Small valuables should be stored in a safety deposit box.
Lock garage door.

Note: Before you leave, you should tell someone you trust:

That you will be away
How long you will be absent
Whether or not you will have a house sitter
The number where you can be reached

What to Do if Your House is Broken Into

Despite your best efforts, a burglar may still penetrate your home. If you return to find that your house has been robbed:

Don't stay - Always think of your safety first
Never confront a burglar or block the exit route
Go immediately to a neighbour's home or nearby location and phone the police