The 3 L’s of security

Burglaries, statistically speaking, happen on weekdays, usually while we’re at work or school.

Burglars walk up to our houses in broad daylight, pretending to be handing out fliers or selling something and, when they co

nfirm that no one is home, they break inside, said crime prevention officer Aaron Snell with the Everett Police Department.

During summer in the Northwest we can make ourselves particularly vulnerable by leaving windows and screen

doors open and unlocked.

So what can you do?

You can install a home security system, a good idea said Snell, who added that systems might not alert police quickly enough to catch criminals, but they are excellent deterrents.

You can also take action by following a few do-it-yourself home security basics.

All homeowners, Snell said, should start with the three L’s: locks, lighting and landscaping.

Locks

Burglars’ most common point of entry into your home is right through the front door, Snell said, adding, “A normal person can kick in the front door easily.”

Strike plates that come with most door locks include 1- or 2-inch screws that aren’t long enough to screw deeply into the door jamb as well as a home’s framing or studs.

That’s why Everett police — and Consumer Reports magazine — recommend replacing existing short screws with 3-inch screws to secure the door to the doorway framing. Strike plates with four long screws, rather than just two, are best.

Putting in longer screws won’t guarantee your doors will be impossible to kick in, but it will be much more difficult, and that’s a powerful deterrent for antsy criminals, Snell said.

Snell said buying a lock that costs about $120, rather than a $30 or $50 model, should ensure that it is resistant to bump keying, which is the term for using a special key that can open a variety of standard home locks.

Breaking into a home with a bump key is surprisingly easy to master, Snell said: “I can do it within 10 or 20 seconds.”

Other tips: Always lock the door between your house and the garage, a common home security soft spot.

Install security or safety window film over vulnerable windows. Add removable drop bars or pinning devices to windows and sliding glass doors.

Lighting

Burglars don’t like to be seen, not by you and definitely not by your neighbors who might call the police.

Snell recommends installing motion-activated outdoor lights equipped with photocell technology. He has lights at his home that shine at a pleasant low wattage when the sun goes down. When the lights detect motion, they brighten dramatically to 100 watts.

Such lights, Snell said, keep you from blinding your neighbors with high-wattage security lighting that stays on all night.

Snell recommends putting lights near all entrances and anywhere you or your neighbors can observe.

Other tips: Install outdoor light fixtures in hard-to-reach places so they can’t be easily disabled. Put timers on indoor lights to give burglars the impression you are always home.

Landscaping

Don’t provide places for burglars to hide. That means removing all limbs from the bottom 7 feet of larger trees and keeping shrubs next to the house trimmed to 3 feet high.

Plants should not obscure your windows.

“You want a clear line of sight into the residence,” Snell said, adding that burglars find open homes and landscapes psychologically unappealing.

Other tips: If you’re worried about Peeping Toms, plant thorny bushes such as barberry, holly or rugosa roses near windows that might be attractive to lurkers or along fences, if you’ve had trouble with graffiti.

Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.

Beat the Burglars

Check out a new Beat the Burglars series on The Herald’s crime and courts blog, Sirens, at www.heraldnet.com/sirens.

Going on vacation?

If you live in Everett, you can request a free vacation home check by volunteers trained by the Everett Police Department. See www.everettpolice.org and click on crime prevention to find forms and brochures including a vacation check application. Call 425-257-7497 for more information.