Window and Door Security Part 1 Hinged Doors

In my last post I discussed the importance of the physical security of your home in order to prevent burglary. In the next series of posts I want to discuss two essential elements of that physical security, doors and windows. Today's discussion will be about hinged exterior doors.

Owners of new homes have an expectation that all is secure. This is often far from the truth. Homeowners should inspect each of the doors and windows in the new home for proper installation and adequate security. Two problems I have encountered in new homes in my years doing residential security inspections are improper installation and poor quality materials. The following recommendations are applicable to new and existing homes.

Let us address improper installation first. Exterior hinged doors should be made of a solid material like wood or steel. They should have a quality deadbolt lock (to be addressed in a future post) and that lock, and the door itself must be installed properly. The bolt on a deadbolt lock has a throw of approximately one inch. At the inch the deadbolt engages. If the bolt does not travel the full throw it may not engage and you do not have a dead bolt effect. One of the installation issues I have seen is the hole that receives the bolt being too short. The worst case I have seen was in a new home where the hole was only one quarter of an inch. The homes security relied on that one quarter inch of bolt into the short hole. The dead bolt did not engage allowing someone to use a slim tool of some kind or a credit card to slide the bolt back and thereby unlock the door. That hole needs to be bored the entire length of the bolt so that the bolt does not hit the inside of the hole before the deadbolt can engage.

Another issue is hinged doors installed inside out. Normally the hinges and hinge pins on an exterior door should only be accessible from the inside of the home. Improper installation leaving those pins accessible from the outside allows someone to remove the pins and pry open the door on the side opposite the lock. If you have exposed hinges on the outside and cannot reinstall the door this problem can be rectified by "pinning the hinges". This is done by removing the center screw which holds the hinge in place on the door and the frame. Drill a hole on one side. On the other side install a long screw leaving a portion just shorter than the hole that you drilled on the other side. Cut off the head of the screw. When you close the door the screw will go into the hole on the other side thereby preventing the door from being pried open.

For personal security each entry door should have a 180 degree door viewer installed or alternatively you should be able to view the door from a nearby window to identify callers before opening the door.

In part 2 of Window and Door Security we will discuss sliding doors.
Send questions to Frank Plunkett at fplunkett@cjresources.org.

Residential Security

Burglary is a problem that many people fear. Companies selling alarm systems often use scare tactics as part of their ads suggesting the burglars target women and children home alone. Although this does happen occasionally, statistically it is a rare occurrence. Most burglaries occur when residents are not at home. Burglars do not wish to encounter homeowners. Those that do break into occupied homes usually have other things on their minds.

Today's message will address the first line of defense that most homeowners have to prevent residential burglary. That line of defense is your perimeter security. Securely locked doors and windows make it more difficult for a burglar to enter your home. Don't rely solely on the locks that came with the home. Often, builders, door and window manufactures, and those that do the actual installations do not have your security in mind. A cursory inspection of your doors and windows can reveal gaps in your security. Often dead bolt locks, essential for security are installed improperly. Lock keepers should have screws that extend into the stud work beyond the door frame. The bolt on the deadbolt should extend at least one inch and the hole that accepts that bolt must be at least as deep as the bolt is long. If the bolt slaps against the inside of the keeper the deadbolt may not engage and a big part of your home security is absent. Window locks are often insufficient and require upgrades. Check with your local police department and see if they provide home security inspections. Some agencies will even do upgrades for Senior Citizens at no cost.

More information on residential security can be found at: http://www.ncpc.org/topics/home-and-neighborhood-safety.

My next entry will address the issues of window locks and security in greater detail.

Frank Plunkett, MCJ
Crime Prevention Consultant

Welcome Back

Ok, so I started this thing four years ago to talk about Crime Prevention. No one came to chat so it kinda fell by the wayside. Now after retiring from law enforcement and soon to be teaching Criminal Justice it seems like a good time to revive this "discussion". I will attempt to provide useful crime prevention tips. Discussion and comments are welcome.

For the first tip: Physical security of residential property is essential. A good strong perimeter that increases the potential for noise, light, and time to break into your property is discouraging to burglars. With good residential security practices the burglar is likely to move on to a home that is less secure. Burglar alarms do not prevent crime, they report it. Perimeter security is the first line of defense.

Frank Plunkett, MCJ

Crime Prevention Discussion Introduction

Having just been invited to the Boston University Criminal Justice Blog I decided to start one of my own to discuss issues in crime prevention and community policing. I am presently contracted by an online university program to write a crime prevention course. Your input and discussion will help this process. I am also presently working in the field of community policing and crime prevention and am always interested in new ideas.
Frank