BEWARE OF TREE SERVICE SCAMS

Be alert for a new scam from rogue tree services going door-to-door preying on the elderly. They offer to cut down a tree, then cut several.  They only take the valuable portions of trees to sell and leave the property covered with cut up tree debris and damage to neighbor's property.

The Milwood Neighborhood Association reports that this type of tree scam is hitting southwest Michigan.

 

 

RESIDENTIAL SECURITY

 

Residential security remains a high priority for the police departments throughout the area.  A burglary is reported every 15 seconds in the United States and two out of three burglaries are residential in nature.  Over half of all break-ins occur during daylight hours and 67% of home break-ins involve forcible entry (thus 33% require no force.)

 

Here are some suggestions which might help to “harden” your home and reduce the chances of a burglary.

 

First of all, use the locks you have.  Remember that 33% of the time no force is required making the burglars’ job easy.  Close and secure your overhead garage door(s). 

 

Doors are usually the burglar's first choice of entry into a home.  As such, anything you do to help secure your doors can be beneficial.  High quality dead bolts are a good idea.  It is also possible to greatly strengthen your entry doors by placing longer screws, (ideally, at least 3”) into the door strike plate.  Note:  The metal bolt of the door lock slides into the strike plate to secure the door to the door frame.

 

Sliding doors often have poor locking devices.  This type of door can be secured by purchasing special locking devices at your local home improvement store or by simply placing an object (e.g., 1” wooden dowel) into the door track.

 

Windows can be secured using the window locks or by adding other types of locking devices, depending on your window design.   Your home store should be able to assist you in finding appropriate locks for your windows.  You may wish to consider window grating for garage or basement windows, keeping in mind local fire codes.  Keeping trees and shrubs trimmed and providing an unobstructed view from the exterior, is also a good idea.

 

Exterior lighting is also important.  A good choice may be motion sensor lighting.  Another option is photocell lighting which will automatically activate at night.  If you live in an area with street lights please remember to report any street light outages to your local unit of government. 

 

If you have questions regarding home security please contact your local police department.