Home Security Tips from Newport Beach police department

• Always lock your windows and doors when you go out, even if for only a few minutes. Second story windows & doors should be secured as if they were on the first story.

• Use timers on indoor lamps to give the appearance that you are home. If you’re going out for the evening, leave a television or a radio on in the home. 

• If your home is equipped with the best alarm always activate it even if you’re only going out for a short walk.

• Consider adding a motion sensor in your master bedroom/bathroom, which will activate the alarm if someone comes in through a glass window or door without opening it.

• Always keep your front and rear porch lights on from dusk to dawn and use motion detector lighting along the sides of your home or areas with little foot traffic.

• Make sure your utility box is secured with a padlock.

• Adjust window coverings for optimal privacy while maintaining good visibility outside.

• Assess whether or not a window can be easily accessed from a tree, balcony, roof, wall, or with patio furniture and adjust your security plan accordingly. Ladders should be stored inside or locked to a stationary object.

• If your garage door has a remote shutoff button on the wall-mounted control, located in the garage, consider locking the door nightly. This will prevent your garage door from being opened remotely.

• If you have a safe, make sure that it is properly bolted to concrete so that it cannot be easily removed.

• Always close and lock your safe and never leave a key or combination out or in an easy to find location (i.e. office, nightstand, etc).

• If you return home and find your pedestrian door that leads into your home locked, and you are certain that you left it unlocked, DO NOT GO INSIDE! Call 9-1-1 ~ Burglars often lock this door to slow down a victim, allowing the burglar extra time to get out of the home before the resident enters.

• When you leave on vacation, remember to call the Police Department for a “Vacation Check” at 949-644-3681. Also, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up your newspaper and mail while you are away.

• When you get a knock at your door:

• Never open the door unless you know the person.

• Acknowledge you’re home without opening the door.

• If you have a doorbell camera with two-way audio, this is a great time to use this feature (whether you are home or not).

• If you are not home, use your doorbell camera to speak to the subject and let them know you are not able to come to the door- do not tell them no one is home.

• If the individual acts suspiciously, call the police department and provide them with a description of the subject and his/her actions.

• Report all suspicious activity by calling the Newport Beach Police Department at 949-644-3717.