Home and Apartment Security

Take a minute to answer this checklist to see how prepared you are.

• Is your shrubbery trimmed so a burglar cannot hide near windows and doors?
  
• Do your outside lights light up all the entrances to your home?
  
• Are garage doors kept closed and locked at all times?
  
• Are exterior doors solid and heavy duty and backed up with deadbolt locks?
  
• Are sliding glass doors secured with secondary locks or pins?
  
• Are windows secured with backup keyed locks or pinned with a nail?
  
• Are doors locked at all times?

• Are your valuables marked with your South Carolina driver's license number or your Social Security number?
  
• Do you have a listing of all valuables complete with model number, serial number, name brand, etc.?
  
• Do you report suspicious persons or activity to the Sheriff's Dept. immediately?

If you answered yes to all of these precautions you are well on your way to having a more secure home that is less likely to be burglarized.

Securing Your Apartment

• All exterior doors should be checked for adequate security. When you first move in to a new apartment, you should have all the locks re-keyed. This can be easily done by a locksmith, and is fairly inexpensive.
  
• Deadbolt locks should be installed on all exterior doors whenever possible. Usually you as a tenant will have to absorb the cost. If possible don't master key these locks to managements locks because this defeats the security of a lock. Management can be given a key to your apartment in a sealed envelope marked for emergencies only. This would not be for things like routine maintenance, or exterminators.
  
• If you're a woman living alone, don't advertise it. Use your first initial only on a mailbox or telephone listing.
  
• If you plan to be away for a weekend or vacation, inform the office of your plans and leave a number where you can be reached in case of any problems. Also stop all mail deliveries, newspaper etc. Leave a radio playing to give someone the impression someone is home.
  
• Be cautious of salesman soliciting door to door.
  
• Lock you door behind you even if you are just going out to you car, or to check the mail

© 2006 Richland County Sheriff's Department