The NJ Office of Emergency Management has an online guide of winter safety and preparedness tips:
state.nj.us/njoem/plan/winter.html
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Below are some springtime safety tips:
- BE ALERT:Watch out for your neighbors, and encourage them to watch out for you. Join the Maplecrest Neighborhood Association/ Watch Program. Call the police immediately if something strikes you as being suspicious, and avoid the urge to rationalize what you feel is out of the ordinary. Many a would-be thief has been foiled thanks to the sharp eye of a resident who thought to call the police. BE AWARE OF “RING AND RUN” TYPE ACTIVITY OR UNKNOWN PERSONS COMING TO YOUR DOOR AS THIS MAY INDICATE THAT A SUSPECT IS CHECKING TO SEE IF ANYONE IS HOME PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING A BURGLARY.If you do see suspicious activity, please call the police first and then advise the MNA via email so that relevant information can be passed on to other streets.
- PRESENT YOUR HOME AS A SAFE HOME: Thieves will, by nature, seek out the easiest target. If your home looks well-cared for and well-protected, odds are that they will move on to another target. Never leave the empty boxes from gifts or newly purchased items for a burglar to see what new goodies are inside the home. A new computer or big screen TV is a sure invitation to crime. Remember to cut back bushes and shrubs that may conceal a burglar breaking in, and always remember to secure all doors and windows, including those to the garage. Expensive tools, such as snow blowers and shovels are the frequent targets of winter crime.
- KEEP YOUR HOME WELL LIGHTED: The best measure of protection may be good security lighting both inside and outside your home. Report a non-functioning street lamp immediately. The Maplecrest Neighborhood Association has a volunteer who will do this for you. Just send an email to MaplecrestNA@yahoo.comwith the location. Use timers for interior lights when you are away. Leave exterior lights on from dusk to dawn, or employ motion-sensitive flood lamps. Remember that porch lights that are left on in the daylight may signify that there is no one home.The Maplecrest Neighborhood Association has long supported the One Light Each Night initiative, which reminds residents to keep an outside light on every night. Not only does it help protect your home but it makes our dark streets much brighter and safer for all our neighbors who walk home from the train or walk a dog.
- SET THE ALARM: Alarm systems are highly recommended, but they need to be set in order for them to work. Make sure you have the alarm company add second story window sensors to the system- many thieves are agile and resourceful enough to bypass a good alarm system by climbing to the second floor.
- ALWAYS LOCK DOORS AND WINDOWS: Burglars frequently enter through unlocked doors or windows, so it is imperative that any accessible points are secured, even if you are only leaving the home for a short time. Make sure all locking mechanisms and dead-bolts are functioning as designed, and replace hollow or easily defeated doors.
- SECURE AND IDENTIFY VALUABLES: Important valuables and cash should be secured in a permanently mounted safe. Items, such as TV’s, iPODS and computers should be engraved with the homeowner’s Driver’s License number, not Social Security number.
