Crime Prevention

An important step in preventing home burglary and other crimes is to make sure that a residence is as secure as possible. A careful inspection by someone trained to observe security precautions can indicate features which would make entry easy – or difficult – for a prospective burglar.

The Salisbury Police Department appreciates the opportunity to be of assistance to you in our community’s fight against crime. We urge you not only to take steps to make your own residence safer, but also to become active in your Neighborhood Watch program for the benefit of your entire community. This guide will assist you in your efforts to keep your home safe.

The Salisbury Police Department is not liable for any burglary to your home. These are simple suggestions that may be helpful to you in preventing crime to your residence. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to secure their home and belongings.

Front Entrance

• □ Are all exterior doors of metal or solid wood construction?
• □ Are all door frames strong enough and tight enough to prevent forcing or spreading?
• □ Are door hinges protected from removal from outside?
• □ Are exterior doors free of windows or other openings (mail slot, pet door) within 40 inches of the lock?
• □ Is door secured by a deadbolt lock with a minimum 1-inch throw?
• □ Are strikes and strike plates adequate and properly installed with 3-inch screw?
• □ If there are no windows in door, is there a wide-angle viewer or voice intercom device?
• □ Are all screen or storm doors secured with adequate locks?
• □ Are all entries well-lighted?
• □ Can front entrance be observed from street or public areas?
• □ Are porch and landscaping free of concealment from street or public view?
• □ Is shrubbery trimmed for visibility?
• □ Are address numbers a minimum of 4 inches in height?
• □ Are address numbers clearly visible from the street and well-lit for visibility at night?
• □ Are all door locks adequate and in good working order?
• □ Is your mailbox securable with a locking mechanism so that strangers cannot remove your mail?

Side or Rear Entrance

• □ Are all exterior doors of metal or solid wood construction?
• □ Are all door frames strong enough and tight enough to prevent forcing or spreading?
• □ Are door hinges protected from removal from outside?
• □ Are exterior doors free of windows or other openings (mail slot, pet door) within 40 inches of the lock?
• □ Is door secured by a deadbolt lock with a minimum 1-inch throw?
• □ Are strikes and strike plates adequate and properly installed with 3-inch screw?
• □ Is the exterior of the doorway well-lighted?
• □ Are all doorways clear of obstruction from street or neighbors view (i.e. porch, fence, or landscaping)?
• □ Does doorway have screen or storm door with adequate lock?
• □ If door is sliding glass, is the sliding panel secured from being lifted out of the track?
• □ Is a “charley-bar” or key-operated locked used on sliding door?
• □ If your house has an alley, are address numbers posted facing the alley, at a minimum of 4-inches in height?

Ground Floor Windows

• □ Do all windows have adequate locks in operating condition?
• □ Do windows have screens or storm windows that lock from the inside?
• □ Are all windows clear of areas that offer special risk to burglary?
• □ If not, do these windows have security screens or grills?
• □ Are exterior areas of windows free from concealing structure or landscaping?
• □ Is exterior adequately lighted at all window areas?
• □ Can your front windows be seen from the street?

Upper Floor Windows

• □ Are all upper floor windows far away from porch or garage roofs, or roofs of adjoining buildings, to prevent access?
• □ If so, are they secured as adequately as if they were at ground level?
• □ Are trees and shrubbery kept trimmed back from upper floor windows?
• □ Are all ladders stored securely so they are not accessible?

Inside the House

• □ Are timers used to simulate normal activities in the house?
• □ Have you engraved or photographed your personal property?
• □ Is the circuit box locked or secured?

Garage

• □ Is the automobile-entrance door to the garage equipped with an adequate locking device?
• □ Is garage door kept closed and locked at all times?
• □ Are all garage windows secured adequately?
• □ Is outside utility entrance to garage as secure as required for any ground floor entrance?
• □ Are all garage entrances well-lighted on the outside?
• □ Are all entrances to living quarters from garage of metal or solid wood construction?
• □ Does the door from the garage to inside the house have adequate locks?

Home alarm

• □ Do you have an alarm system?
• □ Are all doors and windows alarmed?
• □ Is there a motion sensor inside the house?
• □ Are alarm system warning signs and stickers displayed? (Even if there is no alarm system)
• □ Does the police department have current emergency contact information?
• □ Do you keep your hide-a-key in a lockbox?

Gates

• □ Are all gate latches 40 inches below the top of the gate and secured with through bolts with rounded edges and with high-security padlocks?

Because of the variety of ATMs, the unique characteristics of each installation, and crime considerations at each location, no single formula can guarantee the security of ATM customers. Therefore, it is necessary for ATM customers to consider the environment around each ATM and various procedures for remaining safe when using an ATM.

Criminals select their victims and targets, focusing on the unaware or unprepared. Criminals are also drawn to environmental conditions that enhance the opportunity to successfully complete their crime. The attitude and demeanor you convey can have a tremendous effect on potential assailants. There are a number of things you can do to increase your personal security and reduce your risk of becoming an ATM crime victim.

The following crime prevention tips can help make the use of ATM’s safer for everyone:

• Walk purposefully and with confidence. Give the appearance that you are totally aware of your surroundings.
• Be aware of your environment and what is going on around you. Criminals tend to avoid people who have this type of demeanor.
• Perform mental exercises and plan out what you would do in different crime or personal security situations.
• Follow your instincts. If you feel you are in danger, respond immediately. Remember that your personal safety is the top priority.

ATM Selection Considerations:

The law sets minimum standards for ATM lighting, procedures for evaluating the safety of ATM's and requires notices to ATM users outlining basic safety precautions for using ATM's. Although ATM environmental design issues are covered in the law, there are other considerations that an ATM customer needs to consider prior to selecting and using an ATM, for example:

• Select an ATM that is in a wall-lit, well-traveled location.
• Whenever possible, select an ATM that is monitored or patrolled by a security officer.

Considerations Prior to/During Transactions:

• If you notice anything strange, leave and return some other time. Even if you have already started a transaction, cancel it and leave.
• Maintain a small supply of deposit envelopes at home, in your car or office. Prepare all transaction paperwork prior to your arrival at the ATM site. This will minimize the amount of time spent at the ATM
• Maintain an awareness of your surroundings throughout the entire transaction. Do not become so involved with your transaction that you are not aware of changing conditions in the area
• Do not wear expensive jewelry or take other valuables to the ATM. This is an added incentive to an assailant
• If you get cash - put it away right immediately. Do not stand at the ATM and count it
• Never accept offers of assistance with the ATM from strangers; ask the bank for help
• Never lend your ATM card to anyone; treat it as if were cash or a credit card
• If you use a drive-up ATM, ascertain your vehicle doors and windows are locked
• During evening hours consider taking a companion along, park close to the ATM in a well-lighted area and lock your car. If the lights around the ATM are not working properly, do not use it
• When leaving an ATM location make sure you are not being followed. If you are being followed, drive immediately to a police, sheriff or fire station, crowded area, well-lighted location or open business. Flash your lights and sound your horn to bring attention to your situation
• If you are involved in a confrontation and the attacker is armed with a weapon and demands your money or valuables, GIVE IT TO THE SUSPECT. Do not resist, property may be recovered later or replaced

Identity theft is a crime where a criminal assumes someone else's identity for profit. It is becoming increasingly common in developed countries, especially the U.S. There is a multitude of ways your identity can be stolen. A few are listed below:

• Bank Statements
• Discarded Credit Card & ATM Receipts
• Falsely Obtained Credit Reports
• Pre-approved Credit Card Applications
• Stolen Mail
• Theft of a Wallet or Purse, Credit Cards, Social Security Card, Birth Certificate, Passport
• Internet Websites

Tips to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft:

• Shred sensitive documents with a personal shredder. Shredders with diamond cuts are best
• Don’t give personal information over the phone
• Do not routinely carry your social security card or birth certificate in your wallet or purse.
• Disclose your social security number ONLY when absolutely necessary.
• Change your driver’s license number to a randomly assigned “S” number.
• Contact card carriers (such as health insurance) who use your social security number as identification and ask if they can use a different identification number.
• Carry ONLY those credit cards you use regularly, and cancel all unused credit cards.
• Keep an accurate list of all credit cards and bank accounts including name, mailing address and telephone number of creditor, the account number, and expiration date. Update the list regularly and keep it in a secure place.
• Closely review all credit card statements each month to detect unusual activity or unauthorized charges.
• Destroy pre-approved credit card solicitations, contact all three major credit-reporting bureaus in writing and “opt-out” of pre-screening lists.
• As a Massachusetts resident, you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report each year. Exercise this right, and check your credit report closely for accuracy.
• Do not use your year of birth or other easily identifiable code as a password or PIN for credit cards or ATM machines. Do not allow others to closely view you as you enter your password or PIN.
• Destroy all credit card and ATM receipts, do not discard them in banks or retail establishments.
• If you suspect that your mail is being stolen or tampered with, contact your local post office or postal inspector.
• Never give your PIN number out to someone over the telephone, even if they say that they work for the bank or financial company in question.
• Use encryption software when transferring personal identifying information over the Internet.
• Be very cautious about sending personal identifying information over the Internet.

Other Key Resources

• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
• Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information: Recovering from Identity Theft
• Cambridge Consumer's Council

General Inquiries about Identity Theft & Cyber Crimes (see below when reporting a crime):

Contact the Cambridge Police Electronic Crimes Task Force:
Sergeant Joseph Murphy (617) 349-3339
Detective Brian O'Connor (617) 349-9307

If You Have Been a Victim of Identity Theft, File a Police Report:

Report a crime or provide information via 9-1-1 if there is an emergency or call (617) 349-3300.
You can also file a report in person by visiting the Cambridge Police Department, which is located at 125 6th Street in Cambridge.