Home security part of Airmen readiness

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Marcy Copeland
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Arizona --  A home invasion, burglary or robbery can be a terrifying experience. Unfortunately, along with the possible loss or damage to possessions, it can remove the sense of security and make the victim feel vulnerable within his own home.
According to the Federal Bureau Of Investigations, in 2013, there were an estimated 8,632,512 property crime offenses in the nation with a home being burglarized every 16 seconds. Numbers have steadily declined over the last five years of home-related crimes, but keeping one's situational awareness and following some tips can help to secure a home and the family living it.

To help avoid break-ins, residents should leave no outward indications they are on vacation. When burglars are casing a neighborhood, one thing they look for is a vacant house. The use of timers that turn lights, radios or TVs on and off at various times installed throughout the home can be a deterrent. The ring volume of phones should be turned down or the calls forwarded. Parking in the garage regularly will keep someone who is watching for patterns from knowing if someone is home.

Burglars are always looking for an easy way in so residents should make it as difficult as possible for them to even try. Never leave doors or windows unlocked and never leave a hide-a-key outside. Use solid core or metal doors with a security screen door. Two doors are harder to get through than one. Try using locks that have an American National Standards Institute Grade One rating lock and any deadbolt locks at least one inch long. Make sure dead bolts have an antisaw pin so a thief cannot use a hacksaw to cut through the bolt.

Any window or glass panel in the door that is closer than 42 inches to the lock of a door should be reinforced with an invisible security film so a burglar cannot break the glass and reach through to unlock the door. Windows should have the same type of sensors as doors when using an in-home security system. Locks on windows should be on the inside, so they can be used for escape purposes. Stops can also be installed on windows to prevent them from opening more than six inches or a wooden or metal rod can be put in the track of windows and sliding glass doors to prevent them from being opened.

Do not make it easy to hide. A burglar will look for homes where there are areas to hide while they attempt to break in. Large bushes and shrubbery next to windows or doors provide the perfect cover for thieves to work. Grow thorny plants as a good deterrent. Use outside lighting like flood lights that activate with movement.

Installing a home security system is not an absolute guarantee that a home will be passed up as a target, but it does help. Post the yard sign or window decal to show the home is being protected. Sensors installed on doors and windows along with motion detectors and breaking glass sensors will sound an alert if triggered by someone attempting to break-in. Home surveillance cameras are available for indoor and outdoor use that can be viewed from a cell phone.

"You see a lot of safety incidents, not just at Luke Air Force Base, but throughout the Air Force," said Tech. Sgt. Michael Mavrakis II, 56th Fighter Wing Safety Office NCO-in-charge ground safety. "We have to learn from those incidents and try to protect our own and make sure everyone is safe, not just at work but at home as well. When at work make sure your safe so you can get home to your families. When you're at home with your family, take the steps to secure your home, so you are able to come back to help the mission succeed and to help the Air Force succeed."