 |
DOORS
-
Lock your doors at all times.
- Locks: The strongest are deadbolt locks with a minimum 1” throw bolt containing a hardened, saw-resistant steel insert. Attach the strike plate to the doorframe with 4” screws. The double cylinder deadbolt lock requires a key from both sides, preventing a burglar from breaking glass in the door and turning the knob from the inside. Make sure the cylinder of the lock has a steel guard – a ring around the key section. The cylinder guard should be tapered, or it should rotate around the key section to prevent wrenching. Remember; a double cylinder dead-bolt can also block your exit in an emergency.
- Hinges: Doors that swing out have hinges on the outside. A burglar can easily remove the hinge pins and lift the door out. To foil this, remove the centre screw from each side of the hinge and insert a metal pin or headless screw on one side. When the door is closed, the end of the pin will fit into the opposite hole. Thus, even if the pins are removed, the door will remain bolted to the frame.
- Padlocks: Overhead doors, receiving doors, garage doors – all are typically secured with padlocks and hasps. Look for sturdy padlocks that don’t release the key until the padlock is closed. The padlock should be case-hardened with a 3/8: shackle to resist repeated smashing. Remember, a padlock is only as good as the hasps on which it is mounted; so bolt hasps securely to a metal plate, and make sure the bolts are concealed when the padlock is closed.
- Door construction: Doors can be kicked in. Replace hollow core doors with solid core doors or strengthen the existing ones with metal sheets. Replace weak door frames or reinforce them with steel or concrete. Protect glass in the door with steel bars or mesh or place a polycarbonate sheet over the glass on the inside.
WINDOWS
- Close your curtains or blinds. Particularly when you are not home. Rotate opening and closing some blinds/curtains when you are home and not at home. Intruders look for routine. Always leaving curtains/blinds open is an invitation to view the inside of your home. If you are going to be away, get neighbours to open and close your blinds every day if possible.
- Pins or locks for your windows are always a good idea. Many break-ins occur through open windows or weak windows. See your hardware specialist for a variety of options.
- Metal bars or grates on basement windows are a good idea. Intruders like to gain access through basement windows, as they are usually hidden by shrubbery or obscure and not visible from the street.
Crime Prevention Tips for Businesses
OUTSIDE
-
To a burglar, visibility means vulnerability. They hide behind fences and shrubbery.
- Use picket or chain link fences
- Keep hedges clipped down and around waist level
INDOORS
- Burglars try the doors and windows first. If a burglar has difficulty here, chances are they will move on to another property
- Dogs are a great deterrent.
DOORS
-
Locks: The strongest are deadbolt locks with a minimum 1” throw bolt containing a hardened, saw-resistant steel insert. Attach the strike plate to the doorframe with 4” screws. The double cylinder deadbolt lock requires a key from both sides, preventing a burglar from breaking glass in the door and turning the knob from the inside. Make sure the cylinder of the lock has a steel guard – a ring around the key section. The cylinder guard should be tapered, or it should rotate around the key section to prevent wrenching. Remember; a double cylinder dead-bolt can also block your exit in an emergency.
- Hinges: Doors that swing out have hinges on the outside. A burglar can easily remove the hinge pins and lift the door out. To foil this, remove the centre screw from each side of the hinge and insert a metal pin or headless screw on one side. When the door is closed, the end of the pin will fit into the opposite hole. Thus, even if the pins are removed, the door will remain bolted to the frame.
- Padlocks: Overhead doors, receiving doors, garage doors – all are typically secured with padlocks and hasps. Look for sturdy padlocks that don’t release the key until the padlock is closed. The padlock should be case-hardened with a 3/8: shackle to resist repeated smashing. Remember, a padlock is only as good as the hasps on which it is mounted; so bolt hasps securely to a metal plate, and make sure the bolts are concealed when the padlock is closed.
- Door construction: Burglars can kick in a weak door. Replace hollow core doors with solid core doors or strengthen the existing ones with metal sheets. Replace weak doorframes or reinforce them with steel or concrete. Protect glass in the door with steel bars or mesh or place a polycarbonate sheet over the glass on the inside
|
|
|
|
previous | next |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
