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Easy ways to improve home safety

By KIRO 7 News Staff
By KIRO 7 News Staff

SEATTLE — A recent Seattle Police Department survey found people’s top concerns last year were theft, burglary and break-ins.

Homelessness tied with those issues as one of the top concerns.

There was a burglary every 13 minutes statewide in 2020, according to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

KIRO 7′s Linzi Sheldon is digging into the best ways to keep your home safe.

She asked Jennifer Danner, SPD’s crime prevention coordinator for the Southwest Precinct, about steps people can take.

“There’s lots of cheap, easy ways to do this,” said Danner.

Danner said for outside lighting, use bulbs that are a bright white instead of the orange kind. The brighter lighting allows neighbors to accurately see people who might try to break in, including their hair color, clothing and the color of their vehicle.

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Next, look at the greenery around your home and make sure it doesn’t block the windows. If you have trees, trim the canopy so it ends above the windows, with shrubs and bushes below.

Another tip is to add one more security measure to every point of entry.

“Exterior doors — doors that go from inside your home to outside your home — should always have a deadbolt, at least one deadbolt. This includes a door between your garage into your home. That door is often forgotten,” said Danner.

Danner advised that people should upgrade their strike plates — the metal piece that the deadbolt goes into when you lock the door — with 4-inch-long screws to secure it tightly to the door frame.

For sliding windows, use a metal or wooden rod to prevent a burglar from sliding it open.

You can also buy something called a track lock, which further secures a door lock. Danner said they cost around $3 to $5 each.

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