Protect Your Home

The Hendersonville Police Department wants only YOU and your invited guests in your home.

Many home owners, because of carelessness and unconcerned behavior, invite thieves to break into their homes to rob them of their valuable possessions, but even more importantly; to perpetrate harm on them and their loved ones.

The chances of having YOUR home burglarized are greatly minimized by simply removing the opportunity through a few precautionary measures.

Doorways & Windows

Install reliable dead bolt type locks on all doors (see a locksmith for assistance).

Install doors and door frames that help deter easy access to the home. It makes no sense to have strong doors installed into a weak frame.

Make sure doors leading into the home from the outside are external doors and not doors intended for the interior of your home. Do not use hollow doors on the exterior of your home.

Be sure door hinges connecting the door to its frame are strong and at least three inches deep.

Install locking pins on your windows and sliding glass door frames by drilling a small hole in the frames and placing a common household nail into the small hole. When doing so, it is best to drill your hole at a 45 degree angle.

Don't leave windows and doors unsecured while away on errands or while asleep at night. Burglars are sometimes willing to enter a home that they know is occupied and sometimes even target such homes, particularly when intending to commit crimes such as rape, assault or murder in addition to stealing.

Improve the Security of Your Home

Install motion sensor lights around the home. Thieves hate well lighted areas; especially when they are working under the cover of darkness.

Use night lights throughout the house. These serve as deterrents and enhance your safety in the event of an intrusion.

Install an alarm system. This can be one that is audible or a silent alarm that contacts a 24 hour monitoring company that will in turn contact the Hendersonville Police Department or your local law enforcement agency.

Be sure to lock all possessions away and out of the sight of would be burglars. Don't advertise what you've got. That's an invitation the thief will surely accept. Don't make it easy for him!

Keep shrubs around the home trimmed to eliminate or reduce the number of hiding places for a burglar.

Document all possessions. This can be done by taking still photo shots of all of your valuables. A less time consuming way to do this and save money at the same time is to videotape all of your possessions. It is also a good idea to log down all your serial numbers on items in the home. For those that are not numbered you should engrave them using your driver's license number. This number is more easily traced to the owner by the police than other numbers. Always include the state issuing the license as well.

If you have a garage, use it! Lock both your car and the garage. If you don't have a garage, park in a driveway instead of the street, if possible.

Never hide spare keys in a secret place or in a magnetic key box under the door mat, over door frames or other accessible places. Burglars routinely check these locations. If you feel better with spare keys close at hand, then carry them with you.

Form a community watch program. Burglars thrive in areas where neighbors don't communicate or work together to keep their neighborhoods safe. By having a community watch in place neighbors have an opportunity to discuss ideas with one another and the police. Together we can come up with ideas and strategies that will keep us, our loved ones and neighborhood safe. Contact the Hendersonville Police Department today to get information on how to start a community watch program.

Again, install the best type of alarm that you can afford. (silent alarms, sound discriminators, motion detectors) Be sure to advise potential thieves or burglars that you have an alarm system installed by placing warning stickers on your windows.

What To Do If Your Home Is Burglarized

If you discover that your home has been burglarized, call the Hendersonville Police Department (or your local police department) immediately! Quick reporting is essential in recovering stolen property or solving other crimes committed during a burglary. Any delay in reporting only helps the thieves. The quicker we get information about your situation; the quicker we can assist you and contact other Police Departments who can perhaps help us in locating your property or solving the crime.

Your Hendersonville Police Department hope that these Home Burglary Prevention Tips will keep YOU and YOUR LOVED ONES as well as your property safe!

When Vacationing

Contact the Hendersonville Police Department and request a "Security Check" be conducted periodically while you are away. Call 697-3025.

Advise your neighbors when you will be away and returning. (let them know if anyone will be around while you are away)

Keep lawn manicured so as to not give the appearance of being absent from your home.

Stop all mail and newspaper deliveries or have someone pick these up daily.

Turn off the answering machine.

Use timers on appliances. (television and radios and lamps)

Never discuss vacation plans with a stranger or home service/repair representatives.