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Mission Statement
The mission of the Somerset Police Department is to provide a model
law enforcement agency for preserving constitutional rights while
efficiently and effectively maintaining order, suppressing crime, and
serving the public safety needs of the community.
Safety
Whether you live in a house, a condo or an apartment, a
break-in can permanently shatter your feeling of security at
home. According to FBI statistics, a house, apartment or
condominium is burglarized once every 15 seconds. Fortunately,
burglary is probably the most preventable of crimes. By taking a
few simple precautions, you can dramatically reduce the risks.
Of course, every home and every situation is different, and
there are no guarantees.
The first step is to determine what kind of threat you are
trying to protect against. For example, defending against
personal threats, such as assault, requires different measures
than defending against burglary. Most home burglars do not give
great amounts of thought to planning the job and assessing the
benefits vs. dangers, but understanding how they choose a target
can go a long way in reducing your chances of being a victim.
Most burglars look for:
 | Something worth stealing |
| Easy access combined with low visibility |
| A home that is unoccupied |
Did you know? More residential burglaries occur during
the day because homes tend to be vacant more often.
How to prevent break-ins:
| Fool them by making your home look occupied all the
time. |
| Use automatic timers on lights when away from home. |
| Always park your cars in the garage with the garage
door shut. A burglar may otherwise notice a pattern that
a closed garage door or no cars in the driveway means no
one is home. Closing the garage door and having curtains
or blinds on the garage windows also hides some of your
belongings. |
| Place radios on automatic timers and raise the
volume so they can be heard outside. |
| Lower the sound of your telephone ringer and
answering machine so that they can't be heard outside. |
| Never leave notes on your door that can tip off
burglars. |
When away for more than a day:
| If possible, have
your telephone calls forwarded when you are away from
home. Burglars sometimes check to see if someone is home
by making a telephone call. |
| Have a trusted neighbor pick up the mail and newspaper.
If possible, do not have either stopped. That gives
information about you being away from home to others
whom you do not know. |
| If away for an extended period, have a plan in place to
have the grass mowed or snow shoveled. |
| If you are away from home on garbage pickup day, ask a
trusted neighbor to put your garbage cans out to the
street and take them back in. You may wish to have your
neighbor use your garbage cans while you are out.
Burglars sometimes check for empty cans as a sign the
family is away. |
| There are systems available that will open and close
window draperies by timer. Constantly open or closed
curtains can tip the burglar off that no one is home. |
| Even if you don't need specific help, always tell a
trusted neighbor if you are going to be gone for a few
days. |
| If you are going to be gone for an extended period, ask
your local police to check your home periodically. |
In short, make your house look the same whether you are
away or at home.
Eliminate hiding places
| Make sure there is good lighting around the place where
you park. |
| Install motion detector lights around your house
instead of just leaving lights on at night. The lights
coming on and turning off attract the attention of
neighbors. Install these lights at least 8 feet above
the ground so they are more difficult to disable. |
| Install the motion detector lights so they light all
doors and windows. Doors, since they are the preferred
entry point, should be the first priority to illuminate,
followed by windows. |
| Remove bushes and shrubs from around the house,
especially under windows and next to doors. Keep your
yard free of overgrowth. |
| If you DO have shrubs and bushes, select ones with
thorns to deter potential intruders from hiding in them. |
| Install a security alarm system with a loud alarm
and/or flashing lights. This will attract the attention
of neighbors. If you install an alarm, display the
decals, and remember to test the system periodically.
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Use common sense caution
| Always lock all doors and windows when you leave the
house. |
| Use a peephole to identify visitors before opening your
door. |
| Do not hide spare keys outside your home, instead give
one to a trusted neighbor. |
| Do not provide your house keys to service people. |
| Do not invite strangers into your home. |
| Do not have money or jewelry lying out in view from a
window. If possible, keep jewelry and other small
valuables and important documents in a safe deposit box. |
| Do not tell strangers your daily routines. |
| If you are at home working outside, leave all other
doors that are out of sight locked. |
| Avoid telling others about the valuables in your home. |
| If you have children, discuss home security with them,
such as not talking with strangers about their home, its
contents or family schedules. |
Make your home a harder target
Did you know? The average burglar will spend no more
than four to five minutes trying to break into a
residence.
| When moving into a new residence, have the locks
changed. |
| Consult a good locksmith to make sure you have the
correct types of locks on your doors and windows. |
Secure your exterior doors and any doors from attached
garages by installing:
| Good quality deadbolt door locks |
| Security-type door strikes |
| Strong, properly installed doors and doorframes that
cannot be spread apart |
| Security-type hinges |
| Secure your windows by installing additional locks and
installing impact-resistant glass on any windows within
42" of a door lock. This will make it more difficult to
break the glass, reach in, and unlock the lock. |
| Prune lower branches of trees near your house if they
could help a burglar gain access to a second story
window. |
| Secure your patio door with a pin-type lock, a key
lock, or a steel rod inserted into the door channel. |
| Secure your garage by installing automatic openers or
bolt-type locks on each end of the garage doors. |
Take time to become knowledgeable about your situation
and your options so that you can best decide what to do.
And remember, you can also ask your local police
department for advice.
Inventory and mark your belongings. Use our free resources to complete a home inventory. Mark your belongings with an engraving pen so that they
can be traced and return them to you if stolen. These
pens are usually available at your local police station.
Ask your police department what numbers to use when
marking your belongings. Never mark them with your
social security number. Be a good neighbor
| Organize a cookout or other apartment or neighborhood
get together so neighbors can get to know one another.
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| Organize or participate in an Apartment Watch or
Neighborhood Watch program. |
| Arrange for a local police officer to complete an
apartment security survey, or educate your neighborhood
about specific safety concerns. |
| If you are an apartment dweller, notify management if
you notice burned out light bulbs, dark corridors,
broken locks on mailboxes and doors and/or other safety
concerns. |
| Call the police immediately if you see suspicious
activity in your neighborhood. |
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