Canyon Crest Academy’s Class of 2008 leaves its mark
By Ted Parker, SDPD Neighborhood Policing Resource Team
This article deals with installing burglar alarms, protecting your home and property when you’re away, making sure the police can find your home, and identifying your property.
Burglar alarms
•Alarm systems usually include one or more of the following components: photocell or magnetic contacts on doors and windows, heat or motion detectors in interior spaces, glass break detectors, keypads with a means of checking the status of the system, and audible alarms. All equipment should be Underwriters Laboratory (UL) certified.
•Multiple sensors are preferred because they reduce false alarms that are wasteful of police resources and lead to fines and permit revocation.
•Burglary alarm permits are required in the city of San Diego but not in Del Mar. Residents of San Diego should call SDPD Permits and Licensing at (619) 531-2250 about obtaining an alarm permit.
•Get alarm company references from friends or neighbors. Get at least three estimates in writing.
•Make sure the alarm company has a City Business Tax Certificate and is licensed by the State of California. You can verify the latter by calling the State of California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services at (916) 322-4000 or going online at http://www.dca.ca.gov/bsis.
•If your system is monitored, make sure the monitoring station is open 24/7 and has backup power. The company’s customer service department should also be open 24/7.
•Make sure you understand your service contract, all the points of protection and the equipment to be installed, the initial and monthly payments, and the warranty period.
•Inform your insurance company. You may qualify for a discount.
•The system should also have a fail-safe battery backup. Check the batteries periodically and replace them if necessary.
Protecting your home and property when you’re away
•Use timers on lights, radios, TVs, etc. to make them go on and off during the day and night to make your home appear occupied.
•Stop mail and newspaper delivery, or have neighbor pick up anything left at the home.
•Keep grass watered and cut. Water and trim other landscaping.
•Ask the neighbors to watch your home and report any suspicious activities.
•Leave your itinerary with a neighbor so you can be contacted in an emergency.
•Disconnect your electric garage door opener and padlock the door, preferably on the inside.
•Call your local law enforcement agency to request vacation home checks when you’ll be out of town.
•Set your burglar alarm and notify your alarm company that you will be away. Then if an alarm occurs when you are away the company will not call your home first to verify the alarm; it will notify the police directly. Also provide the alarm company with an up-to-date list of persons to contact about the alarm and the need to secure your home after a burglary.
Making sure the police can find your home
•Make sure your street address number is clearly visible from the street and is well lighted at night so the police and other emergency personnel can locate your home easily. Numbers should be at least 4 inches high must be used on individual dwellings and duplexes, and 12 inches high on multiple-unit residential buildings.
•Make sure your unit number (in a multifamily housing development) is clearly visible from paths in the development. A directory or map that shows paths and unit locations should be placed at the main entrance of the development.
•Provide the dispatcher with an entry code if you live in a gated community.
Identifying your property
•Etch your driver’s license number on any valuables that might be stolen.
•Photograph valuables that cannot be etched.
•Keep a detailed, up-to-date record of your valuables. Include type, model, serial number, and fair market value.
