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Safety Tips
Remember these tips to keep your home safe and secure:
- Control vegetation to eliminate hiding places.
- Develop friendly relationships with neighbors.
- Do not put your name on the outside of your residence or mailbox.
- Don't hide keys outside your house.
- Don't leave notes on doors.
- Have an unlisted home telephone number (limits accessibility to home address).
- Have good outside lighting.
- Install 1-way peepholes in doors.
- Keep the house locked, even if you are at home.
- Leave radio on (best with a timer).
- Lock all entrances at night, including the garage.
- Notify the police or a trusted neighbor of your absence.
- Put bars and locks on skylights.
- Restrict the possession of house keys. Change locks if keys are lost or stolen and when moving into a previously occupied residence.
- Use a timer to turn lights on and off at varying times and locations.
- Use solid doors with deadbolt locks.
Make sure your business is safe by doing the following:
- Check with a reputable security company for information on available equipment and services.
- Do not admit unexpected repair or delivery people.
- Do not allow persons visiting 1 office to have access to other offices or areas.
- Do not allow visitors access to secure areas.
- Have offices cleaned during the day.
- Immediately report persons who appear unannounced in your work area or who say they "opened the wrong door" or "were looking for another office."
- Install deadbolt locks on office doors leading to hallways and other public areas. Consider installing a "buzzer" entry door system.
- Instruct all employees on the operation of your security system.
- Make certain that cleaning personnel do not have access to security alarms or authorization to turn them on or off.
- Managers should issue and control keys, conduct semi-annual inventories, and have locks changed when keys are missing.
Vehicles can pose a security threat. The following tips can help lower that threat:
- Always lock your car.
- Avoid isolated roads and dark alleys.
- Be alert while driving or riding.
- Before entering vehicles, check for suspicious objects on the seat and floor.
- Before leaving buildings to get into your vehicle, check the surrounding area to determine if anything of a suspicious nature exists. Display the same wariness before exiting your vehicle.
- Circle the block for confirmation of surveillance.
- Do not allow your vehicle to be boxed in; maintain a minimum 8-foot interval between you and the vehicle in front and avoid the inner lanes.
- Do not drive home if you think you are being followed.
- Do not have your name or official title displayed at your office parking place.
- Do not stop or take other actions which could lead to confrontation.
- Do not use vanity plates that identify you by name or business affiliation.
- Don't allow entry to the trunk unless you're there to watch.
- Don't leave your vehicle on the street overnight, if possible.
- If you come across a suspicious acting vehicle, get a description of the car and its occupants. Then go to nearest safe haven and report the incident to the local police
- Habitually ride with seat belts buckled, doors locked, and windows closed.
- Keep gas tank at least 1/2 full at all times.
- Keep your vehicle in good repair. You don't want it to fail when you need it most.
- Know how to react if surveillance is suspected or confirmed.
- Know locations of safe havens along routes or routine travel.
- Leave only the ignition key with parking attendants.
- Never get out without checking for suspicious persons. If in doubt, drive away.
- Park in well lit areas.
- Use a remote garage door opener if available. Enter and exit your car in the security of the closed garage.
Follow these bike safety tips to maintain safe bike riding practices:
- Always ride single.(an extra person makes it harder to balance).
- Always wear a bike helmet.
- Avoid busy streets.
- Drive in a straight line (cutting in and out of traffic is dangerous).
- Drive on the right-hand side of the road.
- Give hand signals to show which way you're going.
- License your bike; it is required by city ordinance (bring it to the Le Mars Police Department to have it licensed free of charge).
- Look out for pedestrians (they have the right-of-way).
- Obey all traffic rules (just like for cars).
- Travel single file when with a group.