10 Tips You Should Know
About Home Safety
1. Always have a verbal response to any knock. Avoid giving
the impression that the residence is unoccupied. This may be a
ploy of the home invader or a burglar to decide if you are home
or not. Teach your children what to say so they do not give the
impression they are home alone. Know in advance what your
response should be and practice it with other family members.
2. Keep an eye on people you turn away and what they do
next. Report anyone who lingers, tries to get a neighbor to
open their door, or otherwise acts suspiciously. They may have
left your front door but they are still a concern to others. Call
the police if necessary and ask that this individual be checked
out. Learn your community’s
non-emergency number for
the Police Department.
3. In a gated community,
take as many precautions as
you would if the gate was
not there. If someone calls
your home from the gate and
creates a reason to be let into
the neighborhood, do not let
them in if you cannot verify
who and why.
4. Be suspicious of unexpected knocks. If you are not
expecting anyone, a service call, or otherwise, do not open the
door without asking questions and verifying the call.
5. Be aware of ploys such as fake emergencies, fake deliveries,
etc. Know that the person knocking may have a practiced or
rehearsed message and it may sound legitimate. Be just as
cautious if the knocker is a woman or young adult.
6. Use your viewing methods to help verify. Peep holes, nearby
windows, vantage points from other rooms may be used to see
who is knocking. Enhanced peep holes of a larger diameter are
recommended such as a door scope are recommended.
7. Do not feel pressured or forced to open your door. You
have the ability to allow those into your home that you know
and trust. All others are not welcomed - or worth the risk!
8. Consider a high quality security screen door or enclosed
porch/entry way to maintain a barrier between you and the
door knocker. This is especially helpful if the door is opened
without verifying because there will still be some protection
between you and the other person.
9. Install and maintain adequate security lighting for the
perimeter of your home. Lighting choices vary and additional
lighting around your property is a proactive deterrent.
10. Schedule a home security check with your local police
department.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department
responds to thousands of calls for service every
year in Laguna Niguel. These calls vary from
traffic accidents, crime reports and suspicious
persons, to serious crimes in progress such as
robberies, burglaries, and assaults.
In most instances, a
crime or suspicious
circumstance involves
a specific person, who
may be the suspect
responsible for the
crime. Criminals flee the scene of their crimes in a hurry to avoid being
captured by the police, however in many cases, it is the victims and
witnesses who observed the suspect,
that are able to make the escape only
a temporary one. A key to capturing
criminal offenders in these highly
mobile times, is the prompt and
accurate reporting of important
suspect information.
Head-to-Toe
Suspect Description
If you observe a crime in progress or
suspicious activity, it is important to
call 911 immediately. Calling 911 will
automatically display your address
and phone number to the dispatcher, which will allow you to proceed
directly to the crime information. If you saw a suspect or a suspicious
person, the first questions you will hear from the dispatcher are, “What
did the person look like? Can you describe him/her to me?” For some
reason, this simple question causes many callers to freeze, as they try to
organize their thoughts, memories, and visual pictures into a sentence
that is both helpful and timely. The description of a suspect is very
important for responding officers, as they scan streets in the immediate
area on their way to the crime scene. A simple method for observing
and remembering the complete description of a suspect or a suspicious
person is “head-to-toe”. Start at the head and observe hair color, hair
style or a hat being worn. Move down to the face and neck area and note
facial complexion, any facial hair, tattoos, scars, markings, or jewelry.
If you heard the person speak, describe any accent or distinguishing
speech patterns. Continue to the upper torso with a detailed clothing
description. Observe the type and color of the shirt, and any distinct
print or pattern. Examine the arms and hands for tattoos, markings, or
jewelry. Move to the lower torso with a detailed clothing description
including belt color, pant color, condition, and any distinct design or
print. End with the shoes and note color, condition and any distinct
design or print.
Organizing the information from observation to reporting will allow
officers to receive a complete and timely suspect description and
hopefully facilitate a quick capture. Practice makes perfect so have a
good time describing your coworkers to one another after a short
observation period!
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