Residential Burglary
Antioch Police Department
What Is Residential Burglary?

Residential Burglary- Every person who enters
any house, room, apartment, or tenement with
intent to commit grand or petit larceny or any
felony is guilty of burglary.
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How Residential Burglaries
Occur
Picking a Target

The thief or thieves look for easy targets
– Homes that appear unoccupied
– Windows hidden from view
– Open or unsecured Garage doors
– Garage door openers left in cars in the driveway
– Easily defeated gate locks
– Easily defeated door locks
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How Residential Burglaries Occur
Discovering the Burglary

You come home from work and find a door
ajar and the house ransacked.
 Call the police
 Don’t touch items that have been moved or
where they might have entered or exited the
home
 Give the police information on what was taken
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Alarm Systems

Door, Window, Screen
– Ask your alarm company what options are available

Prevent False alarms- motion sensitive alarms
– Pets should be kept out of the rooms with the motion
sensor when it is activated
– Family-make sure they know the codes to enter without
setting off the alarm

Antioch Alarm Ordinance
– The alarms needs to be registered with the City
– False alarms take officers away from other calls
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Door Locks

Front Door/Hinged Doors
– All exterior hinged doors must be solid core construction – 1 ¾”
thick if wood or metal clad
– Must have deadbolt
 Attach strike plate to door with 3” screws
 If there are glass panes within 40” of the lock a double cylinder deadbolt is
recommended- key operated from both sides
 If there are no glass panes within 40” of the lock a single cylinder deadbolt
with a one inch throw is sufficient
– Pinning Hinged Doors
 If door hinges are on the outside – non removable pins should be used
 To prevent removal of the door if the pins are extracted, insert headless
screws into the back edge of the door midway between the hinges. Drill an
opposing hole in the door jamb to received the screw when the door is
closed.
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Door Locks (cont.)

Sliding Door
– Insert a dowel in the bottom track
– To prevent the door from being lifted out- two or three
sheet metal screws should be inserted into the track
above the sliding door
– Adjust the screws so the top of the door barely clears
them when it is operated
– Use a deadlock, it used a bore pin tumbler cylinder and
is operated by a key from the outside.
– If you are replacing the inside door pull use an inside
cylinder pull
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Door Locks (cont.)
 Interior
Door to house from Garage
– Use a deadbolt on this door as well, if access is
made into your garage the door needs to be
secure
– It should also be a solid core door both for safety
from burglars and fire safety
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Window Locks
Different types of locks for different types of
windows
 Double hung windows
– Use a key locking security sash lock mounted with 2 or 3”
screws

Louvered windows
– Slats are easily removed so glue them in the frame, replace,
or use a protective grille

Sliding windows
– Same method as sliding doors

Casement windows
– Remove the crank handle when away from home
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Securing the Garage Door
Preventing entry to your house via the
Garage door
 Roll Up Doors
– Disconnect door opener when on vacation
– Use a locking mechanism on the side rail

Tilt Up Doors
– Disconnect door opener when on vacation
– Use a locking mechanism from the inside
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Environmental Design for Safety
Suggestions…
 Make sure your landscaping doesn’t hide
access points to your house
 Try to light dark areas on your property
 Make sure exterior buildings are secured
with proper hasp locks
 Keep the fence to your backyard locked
from the inside
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House Numbers

Install a large back lit house number 6 to 8
feet from the ground

This will aid police, fire or ambulances to find
your house faster
1872
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Lighting
Interior lights:

Use timers on lights

Make sure some lights are on timers that face
the rear or sides of the home not just the front.

Timers can also be used on the second floor
lights
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Garden Plants
Keep plants trimmed back from windows:

For added deterrence plant thorny plants
directly under and in front of windows

Make sure trees are trimmed back to prevent
climbing access to second floor windows
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Steps to Help Recoup Loses in the
Event of a Burglary
Inventory- for insurance reimbursement
and recovering stolen property

Keep an updated inventory of property in a
safe deposit box at a bank
– Photo inventory
– Video inventory
– Written inventory

Document the Monetary Value of each item
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Steps to Help Recoup Loses in the
Event of a Burglary
Operation Identification

Mark valuables with an etching device with
unique number
– Driver’s license
– Other number that can be remembered

Take photos of valuables that cannot be
marked
– Write the value of the item on the back of the photo
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Steps to Help Prevent Identity Theft
in the Event of a Burglary
Keep important identifying documents in a safe deposit
box at a bank.
 Birth Certificates
 Social Security Cards
 Passports
 Insurance Policies
 Car Titles
 House Titles
 Unused Credit Cards
 Other documents or items with identification information
that are not needed often
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Steps to Take if Personal
Weapons are Stolen

Keep a record of the serial number, model, and
description of the weapon and note any
ammunition that may have been with it.
 Report loss of weapons and the above
information to the police immediately- those
weapons can be used to commit other crimes,
and are a safety issue officers need to be aware
of.
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What Can We Do About It?

Deter
– Good locks
– Sound residential security practices

Detect
– Alarms
– Watchful Neighbors
– Keep access areas visible

Delay
– The longer it takes to enter the greater the risk for the
burglar
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