TIP #1: Always Dial 911 For Police, Fire, or Medical Emergencies.
For years Gretna citizens called the department’s administrative number to request assistance. However, the proper way to get assistance in the shortest possible time is to dial 911. Calls going to the administrative number may result in delays that can have drastic consequences. Calls coming in on the 911 number go directly to a dispatcher who can immediately contact and dispatch a unit.
USE THE TABS BELOW TO ACCESS CRIME PREVENTION TIPS
Crime Prevention Tips For Homes
- Motion lights, properly adjusted, are great deterrents.
- Dead bolt locks create a difficult obstacle to entering a home. If the lock is keyed both inside and out, be careful not to create a safety hazard by taking the key out of the lock when people are home. People have been trapped inside their own homes during a fire when they could not locate the key.
- Refrain from “hiding” keys outside since the only one that usually finds them are the people you are trying to keep out.
- Contact your police department if you are going on vacation or going to be out of town for extended periods of time, so that the department can keep check on your home.
- When vacationing, if possible, leave a key with a neighbor in case entry needs to be gained to your home.
- If you park your car outside, lock the doors. Do not leave the ignition key in your car. Do not make the criminal’s job easier.
- In pleasant weather remember that a window screen is a small deterrent to someone who wants to get in your home. Leave only second story windows open.
- Place a pole or piece of wood in the track on sliding patio doors. These type doors are notoriously easy to open even when locked.
- Do not help burglars! Keep your tools locked in your garage. There is nothing more disheartening than having your own hammer or screwdriver used to break into your home.
- Band together with your neighbors! We can use all the help we can get. If you watch your neighbor’s house and he watches yours, it becomes contagious and soon you have your own neighborhood watch.
Crime Prevention Tips For Businesses
- Whenever possible, use back lighting to assist with building security. If your business has considerable glass or window frontage, the use of a single light toward the back of the area greatly assists officers checking a building and detecting movement.
- Exterior lighting at doors and parking areas discourage criminals from choosing your business as a target.
- Provide the police department with a “Call Card” that provides names and phone numbers of employees who can be contacted 24 hours a day in the event an officer finds something out of the ordinary.
- Limit the number of keys given to employees. A considerable number of break-ins can be attributed to current or former employees. Limit key distribution to sensitive areas. Change padlocks frequently. Be certain to change all access codes and to collect all keys when an employee leaves.
- Develop a closing plan where an assigned employee checks all doors and windows before leaving, including overhead doors. Often criminals are helped simply by leaving a door or window unlocked.
- Alarm systems work well, especially ones with audible sirens.
- If your business has a large amount of glass frontage, strong consideration should be given to glass breakage alarms. Burglars do not need a lot of time inside your building.
- Refrain from placing expensive items in show windows during non-business hours. This helps prevent “smash and grabs”.
- Keep ladders and high objects away from the sides of buildings to prevent burglars from getting on the roof and gaining entry.
- For businesses that are open 24 hours, the use of video surveillance cameras has proven to be a great crime prevention tool as well as crime solving tool.