How to Prevent Garage Burglaries

During the summer months, many homeowners look forward to gardening or relaxing in the backyard—and burglars look forward to easy targets, like open garages. Because garage burglaries take a short time to commit, your overhead garage door and service door should always be closed and locked—even when you are home.

Follow these tips for securing your garage and the items you store inside:

• Always keep your garage door closed even if you are home or doing yard work.
• Before turning in for the night, check to make sure the garage doors are closed and locked. Sometimes homeowners forget to close garage doors after arriving home and do not notice they were left open until leaving the next morning.
• If the service door is paneled or hollow-core, reinforce it or replace it with a solid wood or metal door.
• If the door contains glass or is within 42 inches of a window, use a medium- to heavy-duty double-cylinder deadbolt lock. Reinforce or cover the glass to prevent breaking.
• Install a maximum-security strike plate secured with three-inch screws.
• Cover windows with curtains so people can’t see what you keep in your garage.
• Consider installing motion detector lights that automatically turn on if someone passes by. Install lights out of reach in order to prevent removal of the bulb.

Courtesy: City of Minnetonka website.