MAIN ENTRY
Solicitation material and newspapers left outside the home may alert someone that the house is not occupied.

House Numbers should be clearly visible from the street (preferably in a contrasting color) and illuminated to speed emergency responders in locating your home.  Your house numbers should be placed on both sides of your mailbox where applicable.

If your home is on a large lot with a long driveway, and your home is obscured and cannot be seen from the road, your address should be posted where your driveway intersects with the road.  Use reflective letters and numerals. Signs that indicate “private drive”, “private property”, in addition to your address marker, will deter curious visitors and undesirable traffic.

Ensure that snow removal and deep snows do not bury and obscure your address markers or signs.  Replace worn or faded signs.  Keep them clear and visible!

In summer, clip back alder, willow and other wild shrubbery from obscuring your address markers or signs.  Keep them clear and visible!

EXTERIOR DOORS
When moving into a new house, or when keys are lost, locks should be re-keyed or replaced.

Exterior doors (including the door between the house and the garage) should be of solid core construction with a deadbolt installed with a minimum throw of one inch (1”).

A door viewer is also recommended where appropriate.  It should be installed at the viewing level to accommodate the shortest person living in the house who is authorized to answer the door and should have a minimum view of 180 degrees.

If you are concerned with the vulnerability of glass in your door in the proximity of a deadbolt, a product called Security Film is available from local glass dealers.  Properly applied, it may give added security.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Exterior lighting should be installed to allow you to see someone approaching your house from the front and/or the back, also for safety on slippery surfaces.  Consider motion sensor or photo cell to save on electricity and to extend the life of the bulb.

Shrubbery should be trimmed and maintained in such a manner as to prevent someone from concealing themselves from your view.

Items in the yard such as ladders, tools, and equipment should be secured as they may be used to enter your home.

GARAGE
Do not leave your garage door opener in your vehicle.  The opener along with your vehicle registration is another key to your residence.

If you plan to be gone for an extended period of time, deactivate your garage door by unplugging it, or throwing the circuit breaker (caution: first check for freezers etc. which also may be on that circuit).

In addition, the garage door should be secured by placing a bar through the rail or using a ‘C’ clamp or other fixture to secure it.

Interior Security

WINDOWS
Secure sliding glass doors and windows by "drilling and pinning" to prevent them from being compromised vertically or horizontally.  Commercial pins for this purpose can be purchased locally or a wooden dowel may be used.

Check all windows to ensure that they close tightly, no broken glass, and that the locks engage securely.

ALARM SYSTEMS
There are many types of Home Security Alarm Systems. Your particular needs and lifestyles will help you determine the type you may want to purchase.  There are local businesses that specialize in this product and offer the expertise you need to make an informed decision.  Shop around!

Leave the television or radio on at a volume loud enough to barely be heard by someone standing outside a door or window.  If you have a large home, you might consider leaving a TV on in a downstairs room and a radio on in an upstairs room.

Leave lights on in various parts of the home, or place a few lights on timers.  A basic on-off timer does the job and is quite inexpensive.

Does your answering machine say:  "no one is home right now?"  Your outgoing message should never say no one is at home.

Instead, a message that states:  "We can't get to the phone right now" leaves some doubt to the caller as to whether someone is actually home, and is still truthful.  With the advance of cell phones, anyone can call from a vehicle parked right in front of your house.

If young children are permitted to answer the phone, teach them to say "mommy or daddy can't come to the phone right now", instead of "they're not home right now."  This would still be a truthful statement.

Do not hide your spare house key outside the home.  Professional burglars know most of the hiding places anyway.

No neighborhood is immune from car-break ins.  It happens all over town.  Most often, car break-ins occur during the early morning hours when the risk of discovery is low.  Persons who commit these types of crimes can be juveniles on a dare, or addicts desperate for something to trade or pawn to support their habits.

Tips:

• Secure your vehicle safely in the garage OR park your vehicle as close to the residence as possible.  If you park on the street, park in an area with good visibility and lighting.
  If you rent, report lighting/security problems to your landlord or property manager. 
  
• Do not leave anything in your vehicle that would tempt somebody to break in.  Remove valuables or secure them out of sight in your trunk. 
• If your car stereo has a removable face plate, remove it.  Do not leave CDs, cell phones or iPods in the car.
• Lock your car doors.  Some thieves go from car to car trying doors.  Chances are they will simply move on to the next car.  Unlocked vehicles provide places for people to sleep, hide, or engage in drug activity.
• DO NOT confront the suspect.  DO NOT compromise your safety.  If you are in a car, flashing your high beams or honking your horn is enough to alert him of your  presence.   People will likely not commit crime when they know someone is watching.
• Develop a telephone or e-mail “tree” of neighbors or tenants wishing to participate in a Neighborhood Hood or Apartment Watch effort.  Notify each other of criminal and suspicious activity so all can be aware and alert and take precautions. 

REPORTING:

412-464-7300  Be prepared to give description of the person(s), vehicle, license plate number.

IN AN EMERGENCY…
            EVERY SECOND COUNTS!!!

The Munhall Police and Fire Depts. Urge citizens to CLEARLY post their address:

• Consider the viewpoint of the driver of an emergency response vehicle driving down your street.
• Make sure such a driver is able to read your numbers—perhaps in the dark, in the wintertime, all while approaching quickly.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?   A Few Simple Steps:

A minimum number height of 6” (inches) is desired—make them large enough to be seen easily from the road/street.

While numbers may already be posted on a building, they may not be visible from the road/street.  Post them closer to the road, near the driveway entrance, high enough so they won’t be covered with snow.

Post your numbers as many times as necessary so your address is visible from ALL directions traffic may approach.

If the driveway serves more than one building, post ALL numbers at the driveway entrance, and also post the numbers on the buildings.

Keep snow and ice cleared away from your numbers.  Remove snow, break off icicles or hanging roof ice to ensure your numbers are visible.

Illuminate your numbers when it is dark outside—use reflective painted numbers, or use a porch light, a nearby street light a direct spotlight or purchase electrically-illuminated numbers. 

Trim bushes and trees to keep numbers visible.

Be sure to move hanging flower baskets, wood piles, tarps, flags, wind socks, parked vehicles, etc. out from in front of your numbers.