Home Safety

Here are some tips to reduce your chance of being victimized:

• Answer doors and phones so a potential burglar will know your home is occupied.
• Never tell a caller you are alone; give the impression that someone is with you.
• Look through the peephole to see who is outside the door. Never open it to anyone you do not know and trust.
•  Verify repairmen with their dispatchers before allowing them inside; have a friend with you or have them call you several times; make these precautions obvious.
• If someone you do not know asks to make an emergency phone call, do not open the door; make the call for them.
• Children are less cautious; be careful about letting them answer the door or phone at an early age.
• If you think that a forced entry has been made, do not go inside. Go to a safe place and get help as soon as possible.
• Plan escape routes and keep emergency numbers posted by your phones.
• In apartment complexes, be cautious of laundry rooms, parking lots, and isolated areas; insist that they be well-lit; use them only when accompanied by a trusted friend or neighbor.
• Consider installing a Caller-ID system to your existing phone line.  Never give out information about yourself or where you live.
• Do not indicate on your mailbox or in the phone directory that you are a female or living alone.
• If you are confronted and must yell for help, yell "Fire!" This phrase gets the best response from bystanders. Break glass or blow a car horn -- anything to bring attention to your plight.
• There is strength in numbers. Join with neighbors to start an effective Community Watch in your community.
• Never carry large sums of money.
• Carry your purse firmly near your body.
• Avoid flashing money or expensive jewelry.
• Avoid being in isolated areas where an assailant can easily attack you without being witnessed.
• If confronted in an assaultive manner, remove yourself from the situation ASAP and notify police.
• If you are the target of an armed robbery, give the robber what he wants and seek safety immediately. Remember, material possessions can be replaced; your life cannot.