Protecting your home

Wickliffe police officer shares advice

The first piece of advice Wickliffe Police Lt. Pat Hengst has to prevent a break-in is an obvious one — remember to lock your doors and windows.

It’s a common-sense answer, but Hengst said that in a fair number of break-in cases he sees, people have failed to lock their doors or windows.

That’s not to say there aren’t forced break-ins. From broken windows to a front door kicked in, Hengst said they’ve seen it all. Usually in forced entry cases, suspects will avoid obvious areas, he said.

It’s not an overly common crime, he said.

Wickliffe sees about a dozen home break-in cases per year. Sometimes there will be a string of them over a period of a few weeks or a month committed by a person or a group of people.

Then that person is caught—either for that crime or an unrelated one—and the incidents decrease.

Knocking on wood, Hengst said they haven’t experienced that in a while.

He said installing timer lights inside your home when your away isn’t a bad idea. Exterior lights — like motion-activated lights — also make a lot of sense, he added.

Additionally, he said there a many good Internet-based security systems now. It’s getting easier and more cost-effective to secure your home this way, Hengst said.

Columbus-based Nationwide Insurance also recommends storing lock boxes and safes in a hidden area of the home, preferably in the basement or lowest level to reduce the risk of heat damage in a fire.

The company also recommends keeping all personal information like passports and financial statements in a locked, fire proof safe or a safety deposit box.

For those with keypad entry devices, Nationwide recommends replacing them when they’re worn. The combination numbers can become visible after extensive use, making it easier for criminals to gain entry.

Access codes should be changed periodically to prevent wear, the company recommends.

The insurance company StateFarm recommends that if you’re away on a lengthy trip to have your lawn mowed, raked and have your driveway, porch and walkways cleared of snow or leaves.

They recommend avoid having daily deliveries pile up and having a trusted neighbor pick up the mail and newspaper if those can’t be paused.

They also recommend that if you’re away on garbage pickup day to ask a trusted neighbor to put the cans out to the curb and take them back.

Both StateFarm and Nationwide recommend not discussing vacations plans publicly or on social media.

“Even though you trust your friends, you never know who might learn that you’re not home,” StateFarm stated.

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