Home Security

Some simple rules to follow:

• Lock all the doors and windows whenever you leave the house, even if it is just to go into the backyard or to the shop.
• Don’t leave keys sitting in the lock or hung by the back door.  If a thief gets the key, then all your locks are useless
• Good security isn’t about having the latest locks and systems, it’s about using them.
• Leave spare keys with a trusted friend or neighbor and never in hiding places, such as under a garden pot, where a burglar can easily find them.
• Lock away tools, ladders and other implements which a thief could use to break into your home.
• Don’t leave your house keys with your car keys when having your vehicle serviced or when using a parking station.

When going away

• Don’t close blinds, curtains, etc., that are normally left open: make the house look “lived in”.
• Arrange for a neighbor to change the curtains around and generally give the house a “lived in” appearance. 
• Cancel milk, bread and newspaper deliveries.
• Stop you mail at the local Post Office and arrange for a neighbor to clear your mail box of any other material daily.
• Arrange for a neighbor to mow your lawn if you are going to be absent for any length of time.
• Let you local police know you will be absent and who has the key.
• Let a responsible person know where you are going and how to contact you in case of an emergency.

Vehicle Security
 

• Never leave you keys on the vehicle, motorcycle, etc., even in your own garage.
• Never leave you registration papers or driver’s license in the vehicle.
• Never leave valuables in view.
• Avoid parking in quiet or secluded areas.
• Install a good quality alarm system.

Scams and Telemarketing Fraud
 

• Never give a caller your credit card, phone card, Social Security, or bank account number over the phone.  It’s illegal for telemarketers to ask for these numbers to verify a prize or gift.
• Beware of 900 numbers.  People who call 900 numbers to request instant credit often end up with a booklet on how to establish credit or a list of banks offering low-interest credit cards.  Such calls can end up costing $50 or more, but consumers rarely end up obtaining credit.
• Listen carefully to the name of a charity requesting money.  Fraudulent charities often use names that sound like a reputable, well-known organization such as the American Cancer Association (instead of the American Cancer Society).
• Ask for a financial report before you donate: a reputable charity will always send you one.
• Investigate before you invest.  Never make an investment with a stranger over the phone.  Beware of promises that include the terms “get rich quick,” or “a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
• Don’t buy health products or treatments that include; a promise for a quick and dramatic cure, testimonials, imprecise and non-medical language, appeals to emotion instead of reason, or a single product that cures many ills.  Quackery can delay an ill person from getting timely treatment.
• Look closely at offers that come in the mail.  Con artists often use official-looking forms and bold graphics to lure victims.  If you receive items in the mail that you didn’t order, you are under no obligation to pay for them – throw them out, return them, or keep them.
• Be suspicious of ads that promise quick cash working from your home.  After you’ve paid for the supplies or a how-to book to get started, you often find there’s no market for the product and there’s no way to get you money back. 
• Beware of cheap home repair work that would otherwise be expensive, regardless of the reason given.  The con artist may just do part of the work, use shoddy materials and untrained workers, or simply take your deposit and never return.
• Use common sense in dealing with auto repairs.  One mechanic convinced a woman that she needed to have the winter air in her tires replaced with summer air!  Get a written estimate, read it carefully, and never give the repair shop a blank check to “fix everything”.

Sexual Assault

Use Your Head
 

• Be alert!  Walk with confidence and purpose.
• Be aware of your surroundings – know who’s out there and what’s going on.
• Don’t let alcohol or other drugs cloud your judgment.
• Trust your instincts.  If a situation or place makes you feel uncomfortable or uneasy, leave.

Indoors
 

• Make sure all door’s (don’t forget sliding glass doors) and windows have sturdy, well-installed locks, and use them!
• Install a wide-angle peephole in the door.  Keep entrances well lighted.
• Never open your door to strangers.  Offer to make an emergency call while someone waits outside.  Check the identification of any sails or service people before letting them in.  Don’t be embarrassed to phone for verification.
• Be wary of isolated spots – apartment laundry rooms, underground garages, parking lots, offices after business hours.  Walk with a friend, co-worker, or security guard, particularly at night.
• Know your neighbors, so you have someone to call or go to if you are scared.
• If you come home and see a door or window open, or broken, don’t go in.  Call the police from a public phone or neighbor’s home.

Outdoors

• Avoid walking or jogging alone, especially at night.  Stay in well-traveled, well-lighted areas.
• Wear clothes and shoes that give you freedom of movement.
• Be careful if anyone in a car asks you for directions – if you answer, keep you distance from the car.
• Have your key ready before you reach the door – home, car, or office.
• If you think you are being followed, change direction and head for open stores, restaurants, theaters, or a lighted house.

In Your Car
 

• Park in areas that will be well-lighted and well-traveled when you return.
• Always lock your car – when you get in and when you get out.
• Look around your car and in the back seat before you get in.
• If your car breaks down, lift the hood, lock the doors, and turn on your flashers.  Use a Call Police banner or flares.  If someone stops, roll the window down slightly and ask the person to call the police or a tow service.
• Don’t hitchhike, ever.  Don’t pick up a hitchhiker.

Safety for Seniors

When you are out

• Carry your purse close to your body
• Never carry your wallet in your back pocket, put it in an inside jacket pocket or front pocked.
• Tell someone when you are going out and when to expect you back
• Whenever possible travel with friends or use an escort service
• If using public transportation, sit by the driver
• Don’t carry a lot of packages that could make it hard for you to react.
• Have the key in your hand as you approach you vehicle or home.
• Carry mace or a shriek alarm.
• If a friend takes you home, have them wait until you are safely inside.
• Work out a “buddy” system with a friend to check on each other daily.

Out Walking

• Be alert to people and surroundings
• Don’t walk at night along
• Wear clothes that give you freedom of movement
• If you suspect someone is following you, go into a store or knock at a house door.
• If you are attacked and the attacker is after only your purse or wallet, don’t resist.  Your life and safety are worth more than your possessions.

Don’t be conned
 

• Always investigate before investing money or signing a contract.  Be skeptical about any proposal that sounds too good to be true or has to be kept a secret.
• Don’t rush into anything.  Check it out with friends, lawyers, police, or the Better Business Bureau.

Safety Tips for Kids

Know How to Get Help

• Know the proper use of  9-1-1.
• Have a list of phone numbers for emergencies posted by the telephone.
• In an EMERGENCY DIAL 9-1-1.

Do Not Talk to Strangers

• They may be asking you something or offering something.
• Do not let these people near you.

• 1. Recognize (safe or unsafe situation)
• 2. Refuse (say no and run away)
• 3. Report (tell someone)

Do Not Talk To Strangers On The Phone

• When you are home alone tell the caller that your parents are busy right now and tell them to leave a number and your parents will call them back.
• Make sure your parents know where you are and when you should be back.
• Being safe is making sure your parents can find you incase of an emergency.
• Always tell your parents what time you should be expected back.  That way your parents know just in case something goes wrong.

Know the Difference Between a Good Touch and a Bad Touch

• Bad Touch: It is the kind of touch that makes you feel uncomfortable.  Tell someone.  If an older person is tickling you and you ask them to stop and they don’t, that is a bad touch.  It is important to tell an adult that you trust.
• Good Touch: It makes you and the other person feel good.  Hugs or pats on the back.

Family Travel Safety

Before you leave.  Make sure your home is protected while your away.

• Keep shades and blinds in their normal positions.
• Stop mail and newspapers, or ask a neighbor to pick them up every day.
• Put several household lights on timers so they turn on and off at appropriate times.  You might even leave a radio on or put it on a timer.
• Arrange to have grass mowed (or snow shoveled) while you’re gone.
• Make sure all your door and window locks are in working order – and use them.
• Activate your home alarm (if you have one).
• Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway overnight.

Packing your bags.

• Clean out your wallet or purse before you go; take only essential credit cards.  Plan to use credit cards or traveler’s checks instead of cash whenever possible.
• Carry your purse close to your body, or wallet in an inside front pocket.  Better yet, take a “fanny pack” or wear a money pouch under your clothes.
• Pack as lightly as possible.  Lots of heavy, cumbersome bags will slow you down and make you more vulnerable to getting robbed.
• Expensive, designer luggage can draw unneeded attention to your belongings.  Pack your things in inconspicuous bags. 
• Keep a separate record of the contents of checked luggage, and keep anything of value such as medicine and jewelry in a carry-on that stays with you.
• If you are going on a extended vacation, consider shipping large bags to your destination in advance.  For the return trip, mail bulky new purchases home, or ask merchants to do it for you.

Out and About
 

• Do all you can to blend in with the crowd.
• Don’t display expensive jewelry, cameras, bags, and other items that might draw attention.
• Check maps before you go out so you can tour confidently.
• Stick to well-lighted, well-traveled streets at all times – no shortcuts.
• Always lock your car when it’s parked, even it the stop is brief.  Keep valuables out of sight, preferably locked in the trunk.  Don’t advertise that you’re a tourist by leaving maps and guidebooks on the seat or dashboard – keep them in the glove compartment.
• Traveling safely with your family also means sticking together and keeping an eye on your children at all times. 
• Make sure your children know where you’re staying (name and address), and teach them what to do if they get lost or separated.  You might want to agree on a meeting place, just in case.  And by all means, make sure your kids know not to accept rides or favors from strangers.

Home Security

Vehicle Security

 Scams and Telemarketing

 Sexual Assault

 Safety for Seniors

 Safety Tips for Kids

 Family Travel Safety