Crime Prevention for Your Garage

DON’T GIVE THE CRIMINAL AN OPPORTUNITY. Opportunity is what makes it possible for the criminal to make you a victim. Causing him to take more time, make noise, attract attention to himself or become more visible will drastically reduce the criminal opportunity.

If a thief doesn’t know you have it, he probably won’t try to steal it. Why help him? 
Keep your GARAGE DOOR CLOSED except when you are actually moving something in or out. Your garage is probably the least secure part of your house.

When leaving for vacation, padlock the slide bar. Keep locking mechanisms and door tracks in good repair and properly lubricated. A light controlled from your home should illuminate the service entrance. Replace hollow core service doors with a solid core door and dead bolt lock. Back up recessed panels on overhead doors with plywood.  Secure opening windows with removable pins at the intersection of the upper and lower sashes. Permanently secure any windows that you don’t really need to open.

Treat your garage door opener like your keys. NEVER leave your garage door opener inside a vehicle that is parked outside.

FACT: An attached garage can provide excellent cover for a burglar to gain entrance to your home. Extra security measures must be taken to reduce the possibility of entry through the inside door.

 If you store golf clubs, fishing gear, skis, power tools, boat motors, or other valuable items in your garage, it’s a good idea to construct a security locker in a corner of the garage to store and lock them up out of sight.

FACT: Power lawn mowers and snow blowers are a favorite criminal target.

Riding lawn mowers, tractors, motorcycles and snowmobiles should be disabled by pulling a spark plug or by removing the distributor coil wire. Large eye-bolts through double studs can provide a convenient lock up point for bicycles, garden tractors, snow blowers and lawn mowers.

If you can’t park valuable items inside your garage, park them where they are out of ordinary sight. Block up the frame and pull the wheels off. Disassemble or lock the tongue. Lock the trailer to a tree. Lock a wheel to the frame so it cannot turn.

Whether you store your canoe, fishing or hunting boat on supports in your garage or on horses outside, out of plain view, lock it to something secure.

Don’t skimp on the LOCK FOR BICYCLES. Saving money on the lock, chain or cable will also save time for a thief. Chain it through the front wheel and frame. Chain it to something that can’t be easily cut or dismantled. Register your bicycles. The information is valuable to police in returning it to you if it is stolen.

Marking your possessions will make them less attractive to a thief and aid in the recovery and return to you if stolen. Inscribe or stencil your Wisconsin driver’s license number onto your belongings and advertise that you have marked them. Millions of dollars of property recovered by police are unreturnable because the identity of the owners cannot be established.

Record the make, model and serial numbers of items. Often, power equipment has separate numbers for the engine and frame. Record both numbers. Retain this inventory in a secure place and use it to describe your property to police if items are ever stolen.