Radcliffeborough Neighborhood Association

Crime Prevention

Reduce Your Risk.

Make it difficult for a criminal to commit the crime he has planned by discouraging the would-be robber/burglar/thief by increasing HIS RISK of being seen, being heard, or being caught during or after the crime. It's not as hard as you think.

Keep your yard and house in good condition. Don't leave any bricks or large heavy objects laying around that can be used to break a window.

Install Dusk-to-Dawn or Timer lighting. (This better than those that work off a Motion detector.) Keep bushes trimmed. Don't give the criminal a place to hide either behind a bush or in the shadow.

Put locks on out-buildings or sheds and strengthen the latches.

Secure your bicycles, lawn equipment and ladders in a locked garage, or chain your ladders to a fence. Don't give the thief any help in gaining entrance to an upstairs window.

Secure dormer windows and under-house accesses.

Inside your home, use deadbolts with long 3” screws in the strike plate. Install a peep hole 4 1/2 to 5 feet high on entry doors. On sliding doors use a “Charley-Bar” with a pin and screws in top track.

For windows, use regular window or key locks. For wooden windows use pins.

Store valuables away from regular or easily spotted locations. A jewelry box is lovely but is a giveaway for its contents.

Mark your property. Engraving your drivers license number on an object should bring up questions by a pawn shop owner if the item is stolen and brought in to the shop.

Inventory your property. List Brand, Model # ,Serial#, along with the value of the item.

Always have access to a telephone. This means having at least one corded phone in house. You don't want to reach for the phone to call for help and find that the battery is dead.

ALWAYS keep a lock on guns and keep them in locked gun cabinets. You can get free gun locks from Sgt. Shelor at the City of Charleston Police Department. Call him at (843) 720-2438.

Keep abreast of who has keys to your home. If you don't know, then it is time to Re-Key the locks!

Most homes have a door leading from the garage into the house. Lock it. Garage doors don't always close.

City of Charleston Police Offer Help in Crime Prevention

Sgt. Trevor Shelor of the city police department has tips on the Crime Prevention web page that are available to everyone. Info includes: Residential Burglary Prevention,
Apartment Crime Prevention,
Business Burglary Prevention,
Business Robbery Prevention,
Personal Safety - Adults / Seniors,
Personal Safety - Children,
Auto-Theft Prevention,
Trailer Theft Prevention,
Identity Theft / Fraud Prevention and
Seasonal Crime Prevention.

Check out the Crime Prevention page at the city's website. We've Hot Linked it below.

Organize Your Neighbors.

Talk with your neighbors. Get to know them. Organize a Block Watch on your street. You can learn more on how to do this by contacting Sgt. Shelor at the Crime Prevention office at the sight below.

The Crime Prevention office offers free information and services. These include residential and business security surveys, attendance to public events, and public speaking engagements for youth, adults, neighborhoods, businesses, etc.

So, build a Block Watch on your block and watch the criminals run!

Email us
shelort@ci.charleston.sc.us

Links

City of Charleston Police Department Crime Prevention Page