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5.2 HOME SECURITY LOCKS; HOW TO PREVENT CRIME, ACCIDENTS, INJURIES

As for the deadbolt locks mentioned earlier, I prefer the "double cylinder" ones that require a key on both sides of the door to lock or open. A lock like this prevents a thief from breaking glass then reaching in and turning the lock so that the door will open.

If you are building a new house or repairing a door, install outside doors so that they open to the outside. A door like this is virtually impossible to kick-in (a policeman gave me this tip).

Don't straighten up when you leave your house. Instead leave it with a lived in look as though you were about to come back into the room in a few minutes. I also like to leave a radio on. Talk radio, in particular, can fool a criminal into thinking that people are home.

I lived in a supposedly high-crime neighborhood in Durham, NC for ten years. I never had any problems.

When I left the house for the day, I left the light and the radio on in the kitchen. I also left dishes and plates on the dining room table as though I had just gotten up for a minute. Once a friend came when I was gone and was certain that I was home since it looked so natural.

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