Mylander - Issue 83

28 From inside the community Essex Police How Secure is Your Home? Locked Your Door? We are still experiencing around the county a number of burglaries that have occurred where either doors are not being locked or not locked correctly. You can reduce the risk of being a victim of burglary by simply taking the time to ensure you understand how your door locks and keeping your property secure. It may sound obvious, but do you know how your doors lock? There are so many types of doors and perhaps your door may have been changed or you may have moved to a new house. Many types of doors can be fitted with a multi-point locking system, that as the name suggests has several locking points compared to the older traditional night latch, (Yale lock), and mortice lock that each lock in one point. Most multi-point locking systems have a latch enabling the door to be held closed on the latch upon closing the door and several bolts or hooks that are engaged when you lift the handle. The latch - depending on the type of lock the latch may operate with both the indoor and outdoor handles or just the indoor handle, try your door and see which you have. The bolts or hooks - these provide the security for your door but only if you lock them in place with the key. The method - upon closing the door lift the handle putting all the bolts or hooks in place, on going out lock these all in place with the key, upon locking up indoors use the key as before or the thumb turn if applicable. Until locked in place the hooks or bolts can be released by someone using the outside door handle. If you use a key to operate the lock indoors ensure that you store the key close to the door in case of emergency, but make sure that any keys are out of view from windows and doors. The back door - also, we have had some burglaries where the occupants of the house are in their lounge watching TV and in slips the burglar via the insecure rear door, takes what is in that room, the car keys and the car from the drive. Firstly think about your rear boundaries, invest in good fencing and gate(s) 1.8m high, some spiky bushes or climbing plants and fit and use locks to secure the gate. If you need to come and go through the gate use a key operated lock to secure the gate.