• Put up an alarm sign if you don't have an alarm. This will make any burglar think twice about entering your home.
• Always keep your garage closed. Burglars will often drive through a neighborhood to seek potential targets. If there is anything valuable in your garage, you may be their next target.
• Make sure you lock every entry to your house even if you are only leaving for a short time.
• Use a simple door jam on a patio or deck door as extra security.
• Install simple motion detector lights.
• Keep trees and bushes trimmed and away from doors and windows.
• In case your home does get broken into keep your valuables OUT of your master room. A burglar looking for valuables in a home will make the master bedroom their first stop.
• If you are unsure that your home is secure, call your local law enforcement and ask them to do a check of your home to see if it is safe.
• Burglars will sometimes ring your front doorbell to see if you are home, then go to your back door to break in. Make sure all of your doors are secure. Use a deadbolt lock on all entrances.

Helpful tips for seniors:

• Use a buddy system so friends , family and perhaps a senior center know where you are what you are doing.
• Acquire a medical alert device so you can get help if you get injured and can't get to the phone.
• Develop a home modification plan for independent senior living.
• Let your police know if you live alone. Ask them to check on you occasionally.
• Don't give out any personal information over the phone to anyone you don't know and/or trust.
• Consider putting yourself on a no-call list to limit unwanted solicitations and protect yourself from possible scams.

Avoid Telemarketing Scams

• Don't talk to them. Get an answering machine, caller I.D. or just hang up.
• Take down the phone number and report it.
• If you want to give money to a charity, seek them out yourself.
• Get on the Federal DO-NOT-CALL LIST. register: www.donotcall.gov