Crime & Safety

From the Chief: Increase in House Breaks in Grafton

Crime is up. Know how to protect your home.

Written by Grafton Chief of Police Normand A. Crepeau, Jr.

The Grafton Police Department has noted an increase in house breaks and  attempted breaks in town over the past few weeks. While these incidents remain under investigation, we ask all residents to ensure that their homes are 
secure and that they be on the lookout for any suspicious activity.

The Grafton Police Department would also like to offer the following home security tips provided by the National Crime Prevention Council at www.ncpc.org:

Making your home safer from crime doesn’t always mean having to install expensive alarms. Effective home security starts with properly locked doors and windows and visible, well-lighted entryways. 

EXTERIOR DOORS: All exterior doors should be either metal or solid wood.  For added security, use strong door hinges on the inside of the door, with non-removable or hidden pins. Every entry door should be well lighted and have a wide-angle door viewer so you can see who is outside without opening the door.

LOCKS:  Strong, reliable locks are essential to effective home security.  Always keep doors and windows locked—even a five-minute trip to the store is long enough for a burglar to enter your home. Use quality keyed knobs as well as deadbolts— deadbolts can withstand the twisting, turning, prying and pounding that regular keyed knobs can’t. When choosing a deadbolt, look for such features as a bolt that extends at least one inch when in the locked position, to resist 
ramming and kicking; hardened steel inserts to prevent the bolt from being sawed off, and a reinforced strike plate with extra-long mounting screws to anchor the lock effectively. Most deadbolts are single-cylinder; they operate from the outside with a key and from the inside with a thumb latches. Double-cylinder deadbolts require a key to open the lock from both outside and inside your home. These locks are especially effective for doors with glass within 40 inches of the lock—an intruder cannot break the glass and unlock the door by reaching through. Check with the local building code authorities before installing a double cylinder deadbolt. As one alternative, security glazing can be applied to glass panels in or near the door, or shatterproof glass can be installed, though these options can be expensive.

SLIDING GLASS DOORS:  Sliding glass doors can offer easy entry into your home. To improve security on existing sliding glass doors, you can install keyed locking devices that secure the door to the frame; adjust the track clearances on the doors so they can’t be pushed out of their tracks; or put a piece of wood or a metal bar in the track of the closed door to prevent the door from opening even if the lock is jimmied or removed.

WINDOWS:  Most standard double-hung windows have thumb turn locks between the two window panels. Don’t rely on these—they can be pried open or easily reached through a broken pane. Instead, install keyed locking devices to prevent the window from being raised from the outside, but make sure everyone in the house knows where to find the keys in case of an emergency. Some jurisdictions have restrictions on this type of lock—check local building codes before you install them. An easy, inexpensive way to secure your windows is to use the “pin” trick. Drill an angled hole through the top frame of the lower window partially into the frame of the upper window. Then insert a nail or eyebolt.  The window can’t be opened until you remove the nail. Make a second 
set of holes with the windows partly opened so you can have ventilation without intruders.

LIGHTING:  Lighting is one of the most cost-effective deterrents to burglary. Indoor lighting gives the impression that a home is occupied.  If you are going to be away from your home, consider using automatic timers to switch interior lights on and off at preset times. Outdoor lighting can eliminate hiding places. Install exterior lighting near porches, rear and side doorways, garage doors, and all other points of entry. Entryways to your home always should be well lighted. Place lights out of reach from the ground so the bulbs cannot be removed or 
broken. Aim some lights away from the house so you can see if anyone is approaching or install motion-sensing lights, which turn on automatically as someone approaches.

SHRUBS AND LANDSCAPING:  Your home’s walkways and landscaping should direct visitors to the main entrance and away from private areas.  The landscaping should provide maximum visibility to and from your house. Trim shrubbery that could conceal criminal activity near doors and windows. Provide light on areas of dense shrubs and trees that could serve as hiding places.  Cut back tree limbs that could help thieves climb into windows and keep yard fencing low enough to avoid giving criminals places to hide.

VALUABLES:  Take an inventory of your valuables including jewelry, electronics, collectables, etc. Note serial numbers or distinguishing marks on these items and if possible, take video or photographs to make identification easier if they are taken and later recovered. You may also want to consider having them engraved with easily identifiable markings known only to you.

SEE SOMETHING…SAY SOMETHING:  Neighbors should be looking out for neighbors.  If you see or hear anything suspicious in your neighborhood, call the Grafton Police at 508-839-5343. Do not hesitate to call 911 if you feel a crime is being committed.

Anyone with questions for the Chief’s Column may submit them by mail to the Grafton Police Department, 28 Providence Road, Grafton, MA 01519.  You may also email your questions or comments to chief@graftonpolice.com.  Please include an appropriate subject line as I do not open suspicious email for obvious reasons.


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