Close and lock your windows and doors. Thieves look for an easy target.
Lock your garage door. Thefts from garages are common and it offers ready access to your tools and, in some cases, your home.
Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed so that windows and doors are visible.
When away, make your home look lived in. Don't leave newspapers, mail and door hanger materials in place. Arrange for a trusted friend or neighbor to collect these items for you.
Know your neighbors! Be familiar with cars, faces and who belongs in your neighborhood.
Keep different lights on when you leave. Use timers when gone overnight.
Use a radio with a talk show station tuned in when you are gone.
Use window stops/pins to prevent windows and sliding doors from being opened.
Maintain lists of account numbers, valuable items’ serial numbers and important phone numbers. Copy the list and keep it elsewhere. Save videos and photos of your belongings. These help in property recovery and insurance replacement.
Have an alarm system with a loud outside horn. On the Arcadia police blotter, we’ve read about more break-ins from the back of the house, especially breaking rear windows and sliding door glass panels. Even if you have an alarm system and your widows are armed, if the thieves don’t open them but just break the glass to enter, the alarm will not activate. Alarm companies now offer wireless devices that sense when glass is broken. These are installed on the wall or ceiling near vulnerable windows. Please contact you alarm company for more information.
Our police department offers free home inspections and will recommend security measures.
Watch for and report suspicious persons and activity. Remember: See something, say something. If something doesn’t look right, please call the Police Department at (626) 574-5123 or 911. The police want to hear from you.
