The illustration below looks at the comparison of crimes committed in Jacksonville, FL on a daily bases (per 100,000 people) to crimes committed throughout the state of Florida. A comparison to the average number of daily national crimes is displayed as well. Daily property crime rates in Jacksonville, FL are 1.33 times more than the daily state average and 1.46 times more than the daily national numbers.
Source: areavibes.com; FBI Uniform Crime Report
According to JSO Crime Map, 6 burglaries were reported within 2 mile radius of Waterleaf HOA this month.
The following information comes from Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Home Security Brochure..
To download JSO Education Brochure
Check the Locks
- Make sure every external door has a sturdy, well-installed dead bolt lock. Key-in-the-knob locks alone are not enough.
- Sliding glass doors can offer easy access if they are not properly secured. You can secure them by installing commercially available locks or putting a broomstick or dowel in the inside track to jam the door. To prevent the door being lifted off the track, drill a hole through the sliding door frame and the fixed frame. Then insert a pin in the hole.
- Lock double-hung windows with key locks or "pin" windows by drilling a small hole into 45 angle between the inner and outer frames, then insert a nail that can be removed.
- Instead of hiding keys around the outside of your home, give an extra key to a neighbor you trust.
- When you move into a new house or apartment, rekey the locks.
Check the Doors
- All outside doors should be metal or solid wood.
- If your doors don't fit tightly in their frames, install weather stripping around them.
- Install a peephole or wide-angle viewer in all entry doors so you can see who is outside without opening the door. Door chains break easily and don't keep out intruders.
Check the Outside
- Thieves hate bright lights. Install outside lights and keep them on at night.
- Keep your yard clean. Prune back shrubbery so it doesn't hide doors or windows. Cut back tree limbs that a thief could use to climb to an upper-level window.
TO READ MORE ON YARD MAINTENANCE
- Clearly display your house number so police and other emergency vehicles can find your home quickly.
- If your travel, create the illusion that you're at home by getting some timers that will turn lights on and off in different areas of your house throughout the evening. Lights burning 24 hours a day signal an empty house.
- Leave shades, blinds, and curtains in normal positions. And don't let your mail pile up! Call the post office to stop delivery or have a neighbor pick it up.
- Make a list of your valuables. Take photos of the items, list their serial numbers and descriptions. Check with the law enforcement about engraving your valuables through Operation Identification.
- Ask law enforcement for a free home security survey.
CONSIDER AN ALARM
Alarms can be a good investment, especially if you have many valuables in your home.
MORE TIPS
- If something looks questionable - a slit screen, a broken window or an open door - don't go in and call the police.
- At night, if you think you hear someone breaking in, leave safely if you can, then call police. If you can't leave, lock yourself in a room and call police. If the intruder is in your room, pretend you're asleep.
- Guns are responsible for many accidental deaths in the home every year. Think carefully before buying a gun. If you do own one, learn how to store and use it safely.
