1. When leaving your home, even for a short period of time, make sure all doors are locked and all windows are closed and secured. (Burglaries have occurred when homeowners were away for less than 20 minutes.)

2. Air conditioners should be secured to the window frame or wall to prevent them from being pulled out or pushed in.

3. All exterior doors should be solid core wood or metal clad and should be equipped with two single-cylinder, dead bolt or drop bolt type locks properly installed by a licensed locksmith. The main entrance door should also be equipped with a 190-degree wide angle viewer.

4. Locks should be protected by cylinder guards and interlocking latch guards.

5. Fire escape windows should be protected by a New York City Fire Departmentapproved safety gate.

6. The outside of your home should have a dusk to dawn light fixture at all entrances. Backyards and the alleyway area surrounding your home should have a motion detector floodlight. These fixtures should be mounted high enough to prevent them from being tampered with.

7. Make sure all trees and shrubbery are properly trimmed and not overgrown to the point where they provide cover for criminals.

8. Residential alarm systems are highly recommended. A basic system would consist of wireless contacts for doors and windows connected to a central monitoring system that will notify the police if your alarm is triggered.

For more information, or if you have any further questions, contact the 114th Precinct Crime Prevention Office at 718-626-9324.