The following information was provided by Plano Police Department Crime Watch Officers a few years ago but it is good information today.
Barriers to Burglary: Burglary is a crime of opportunity. Make their work risky and difficult, and you stand a good chance of stopping them before they get in.
Your first line of defense
To a burglar visibility means vulnerability. They hide behind fences and shrubbery. The key is to keep trespassers out while keeping your property visible. Use picket or chain link fences. Keep hedges clipped down around waist level.
On the outside looking in Burglars try the doors and windows first. If burglars have difficulty here, chances are they will move on to another property.
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 door frame 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, though, a double cylinder dead- bolt can also block your exit in an emergency. Check with your local law enforcement agency or building inspector to see if these locks are permitted in your area.
• 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 center 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 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.
Operation Identification: Mark your property with your Texas driver’s license number (preceded by the letters “TX”). Then put Operation I.D. decals (obtained from your local law enforcement agency) on all windows and doors to warn burglars that your property can be traced.
Keep a complete, up-to-date inventory of your merchandise and property: office machinery, personal belongings, etc. Put a copy in your safe deposit box or at a location away from the business site.
Remember: Locks and alarms can’t prevent a burglary unless they’re in use. Establish a routine for “closing up shop,” locking doors and windows, setting up alarms.
If you suspect a burglary:
• Don’t go in — the burglar may still be inside.
• Call police immediately!
You can check out the Plano Police Department website – http://www.planopolice.org/ There are some good items of interest for you to read.
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