The best defense for home security is awareness. Is your home attractive to burglars? Do high shrubs or bushes obscure windows? Do you leave windows open at night or during your absence? Are entrances and yards lit up at night? Do you have torn or missing storm windows or screens?

These are just some of the questions you might ask yourself concerning your home's security. If shrubs or bushes provide shelter for a burglar to use while gaining access through a window, maybe you should cut them back or remove them completely. Replace any missing or damaged screens or storm windows to erase the impression of lax maintenance. If your yard is dark at night, maybe a motion sensing light is a good investment.

Below are some questions you might want to answer concerning the security of your home.

General:

1. Are shrubs and bushes cut below the window level? Yes____ No ____
2. Are the entrances well lit at night? Yes ____ No ____
3. Are garages and outbuildings locked at night or during your absence? Yes ____ No ____
4. Are fuse boxes secured by a padlock? Yes____ No ____
5. Is residence number visible at night from the street? Yes ____No ____
6. Are bicycles, mowers and ladders kept locked up when not in use? Yes ____ No ____
7. Do you have smoke / carbon monoxide detectors in your home? Yes ____ No ____
8. Do you have a family escape plan in case of fire? Yes ____No ____
9. Are valuables, fire arms and important papers kept in a safe place? Yes ____ No ____
10. Are fire extinguishers available? (Does everyone know where they are located?) Yes ____ No ____
11. I s your safe fireproof? Yes ____ No ____
12. Are your house keys and car keys on seperate key rings? Yes ____ No ____
13. Do you belong to a neighborhood watch group? Yes ____No ____

Doors:

1. Do you have peepholes in your entrance doors? Yes ____No ____
2. Does the peephole allow full view of your outside entrance area? Yes ____ No ____
3. Are entrance doors solid core? Yes ____ No ____
4. Do you have deadbolts on entrance doors? Yes ____ No ____
5. Do the deadbolts have at least 1" depth? Yes ____ No ____
6. Does the door fit the door jamb with 1/8" or less gap? Yes ____ No ____
7. Is the door jamb reinforced? Yes ____ No ____
8. Have your locks been rekeyed since you moved in? Yes ____ No ____
9. Is this a new house? Yes ____ No ____
10. If this is a new house, did you rekey after taking possession? Yes ____ No ____
11. Do you know who has or where all your keys are? Yes ____ No ____
12. If you have a metal security door, is it keyed to your house key? Yes ____ No ____

Windows:

1. Have double hung windows been pinned or have key locks?Yes ____ No ____
2. Do metal sliding windows have auxiliary locks? Yes ____ No ____
3. Can window left open for ventilation be secured? Yes ____ No ____
4. Do basement windows have auxiliary locks? Yes ____ No ____
5. Do curtains, drapes or blinds fully cover windows? Yes ____ No ____
6. Is the window air conditioner secured from the outside? Yes ____ No ____

Garage:

1. Do all doors close tightly?  Yes ____ No ____
2. Do you keep all doors closed and locked when not in use? Yes ____ No ____
3. Do you remove your vehicle keys when garage is locked? Yes ____ No ____
4. Can the garage light be turned on from inside the house? Yes ____ No ____
5. Does personal door to garage have peephole? Yes ____ No ____

If you answered NO to any of these questions, you may be at risk. Try to correct any problems as soon as you can.

Notice: For your protection, none of the above questions are being tallied by our company, or anyone else. So, please feel free to answer each question honestly, for your own peace of mind.