NCJ Number
82146
Date Published
Unknown
Length
34 pages
Annotation
Illustrated guidelines are provided for conducting home security surveys focusing on door and door lock systems, window security, and alarms.
Abstract
The manual emphasizes the importance of cooperation between the law enforcement officer conducting the survey and the homeowner or apartment resident in locating security weaknesses and identifying practical ways to correct them. Practical considerations for police departments and officers are listed, including the need to advertise the security survey as a free service, the benefits of slowing down prospective burglars as the main means of preventing burglaries, and the impossibility of achieving complete safety from burglary. Officers conducting surveys are also advised to remind citizens that good security habits are just as important as improving a home's physical security and to encourage citizens to join Operation Identification. The components of door systems are explained, with emphasis on the need for a strong frame. Common security problems and solutions are identified for the following types of doors: metal doors, solid core wood doors, wood panel doors, hollow core doors, doors containing glass or adjacent to glass vision panels, louvered glass doors, doubled doors, Dutch doors, storm and screen doors, sliding glass doors, and garage doors. The basic types of door locks, strike plates, and hinges are explained. Guidelines are also given for improving the security of various types of windows, including sliding glass windows, casement windows, double hung windows, and basement windows. Types of alarms and the nature of Operation Identification are explained. Steps for use in conducting a home security survey are listed. Home security standards under which some Maryland insurance companies offer discounts are also listed.