A few simple alterations to the exterior of your home can be enough to deter intruders from attempting entry. Trim bushes, shrubs and trees so all of your doors and windows are visible to your neighbors or to the street. Your home’s landscaping should not provide concealment for criminals. Unobstructed doors and windows are a deterrent because intruders are forced to work where they can be seen.

Maintain adequate lighting, especially at entry points to the home. Motion activated lights may not only startle would be intruders, but can alert you or your neighbors to movement around your home. Conduct monthly checks to ensure all of the exterior lights around your home are working properly. Display house numbers that easily seen and read from the street. Consider aiming an exterior light at the numbers themselves. Emergency responders can save critical time when the street address for your home is visible from a distance. Adding a second set of house numbers near the street or on a mailbox also helps emergency responders locate your residence.

Limit direct access to your yard or storage shed. Intruders look for none, or few obstacles blocking quick exits. Fences prevent burglars from carrying away large items if the gates are locked. If you have or install a fence, consider locking the gates when they are not in use. Ladders and tools should be stored in a garage or shed and the enclosure should remain locked. Place all other items of value including lawnmowers, bicycles and power tools inside the enclosure as well. Landscaping should also be designed to control access to your property. Proper barriers make the intruder feel uncomfortable as he or she approaches your home.

Always lock your garage doors. This is especially important if you have an attached garage. Burglars can enter your home through the door leading from an attached garage to the house.

All exterior doors should be solid core wood (at least 1 3/4” thick) or metal wrapped. Your doors should fit their frames tightly, with no more than 1/8” clearance between the door and the frame. This will boost your protection, and save energy too! Most hollow core doors can be easily breached and doors with large gaps in the frame are easily pried open. Remember that any exterior door to your garage is also an exterior door to your home.

Electronic garage door openers with automatic locking devices offer good security against burglaries. Keep transmitters in a safe place. Avoid leaving transmitters in vehicles that are parked outside your home. If you suspect a thief has one of your transmitters or obtained your garage door frequency, contact a dealer who will change the frequency.

Garage doors not controlled by an electronic device should be kept locked at all times. Doors not used on a regular basis should be locked inside the garage with a secondary device such as a padlock.

Patio doors are often more secluded than other entry points to your home. Many patio doors and sliding windows come equipped with a lock that is easily pried open. A supplemental lock should be installed.

Broomsticks cut to fit snug in the track and “Charlie Bars” are a simple cost effective way to provide added protection. Key locking devices are another added security feature that will limit the intruders’ ability to enter or exit through the patio door.

Some sliding glass doors can be lifted out of their track from the outside. By installing two sheet metal screws in the track just above the removable part of the door this can be prevented. Adjust the screws so that the doors or window will clear just underneath them. Drill a hole and insert a nail through the inside frame and part way through the metal door frame. You will be able to remove the nail when needed but the burglar cannot.

Casement windows that crank outward provide good security for your home. Make sure that you lock the window when they are closed. This will prevent an intruder from breaking the glass and cranking the window open themselves. Do not leave any windows open that are accessible from the ground when you are not home. Lock the same windows while you are asleep.

Double Hung Windows are easier for thieves to jimmy or pry open. These windows can be made more secure by taking these simple, inexpensive precautions. To secure a double hung window, drill a downward sloping hole into the top of the bottom window. Continue drilling through the bottom window into the lower portion of the top window. A pin can now be inserted which will lock the window shut. By partly opening the window (less than 4 inches) and making a second set of holes, the window can then be used for ventilation. Again, open windows and doors should never be left unattended while you are gone or asleep.

Making your home appear occupied while away on vacation will help discourage burglaries. Here are some simple tips to help give the impression that you are home.

• Use automatic timers to turn lights on at dusk and off around bedtime. Consider putting the television on a timer as well. Vary the times that lights turn on and off if possible.
• Keep garage doors closed and locked. Park a vehicle or two in the driveway. Make sure the vehicles are locked and no valuables are left inside.
• Stop the mail and newspaper or have a trusted neighbor collect both each day.
• Turn your telephone ringers to off and lower the volume on any answering machines. A loud unanswered telephone ring can tip off intruders that no one is home.
• Make arrangements to have your lawn mowed and/or driveway plowed.
• Tell a neighbor where you can be reached in case of an emergency and ask the neighbor to check on your home occasionally.
• Do not tell more people than necessary that you will be away from the home.
• Do not post vacations or photos on social media until you return from the trip.

Sign up for a vacation house check.

The Fox Point Police Department encourages everyone who lives and works in the village to make effective use of the 9-1-1 Communication System.   An emergency is any serious situation where a law enforcement officer, fire fighter, or emergency medical services are needed right away. If you are unsure of whether your situation is an emergency, go ahead and call 9-1-1. The 9-1-1 call taker can determine if you need emergency assistance and can route you to the correct location.

Follow these guidelines:

IF YOU DO CALL 9-1-1, EVEN BY MISTAKE, DO NOT HANG UP THE PHONE.

9-1-1 call takers are trained to get the most important information as quickly as possible to get help on the way to an emergency situation. In an emergency situation, allow the call taker to ask you all the questions they need in order to get help there in the timeliest manner before you hang up or leave the phone. If you happen to call by accident, stay on the line until you can tell the call taker that you called by accident and there is no emergency.

WHEN CALLING 9-1-1 DO YOUR BEST TO STAY CALM AND ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS.

Staying calm can be one of the most difficult, yet most important, things you do when calling 9-1-1. It is very important that you stay as calm as possible and answer all the questions the 9-1-1 call taker asks. The questions 9-1-1 call takers ask, no matter how relevant they seem, are important in helping get the first responders to you as fast as possible.

KNOW THE LOCATION OF THE EMERGENCY.

The first question you will be asked is the location of the emergency.  If you don't know the address, look for landmarks, cross street signs and buildings. Know the name of the city or county you are in. Knowing the location is vital to getting the appropriate police, fire or EMS units to respond.  The wireless 9-1-1 caller must be aware that the 9-1-1 center that answers the call may not be the 9-1-1 center that services the area that the wireless caller is calling from. 

9-1-1 PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINT

All wired landline telephones within the Village of Fox Point will be answered by the Bayside Communications Center.  If you are calling from a cellular telephone within the north shore, the majority of the time the call will be answered by the Bayside Communications Center; however, be prepared to provide a specific community name and location in the event that the call is answered by the Milwaukee County Sheriff.

If you have any questions about this information, or other safety or security concerns, call the police department, (414) 351-8911 and speak with an officer about crime prevention tips.

Block Watch is a national program that is based on the principle that neighbors working together are the first and best line of defense against crime. Block Watch is simple to begin and can improve the security of your neighborhood while increasing your sense of community.

It involves neighbors getting to know each other and working together to keep the community safe.  

A Block Watch program in your neighborhood will also help you become acquainted with your neighbors by working together with police to identify specific problems and concerns in your neighborhood. You are the best judge of what is "normal" activity in your neighborhood and by using crime prevention techniques you can take back your neighborhood.  

How Does Block Watch Work?

The police cannot be everywhere at once and that is where you come in. By keeping an eye out for unusual or suspicious activity and then calling 911, you will help police be in the right place at the right time! This works best when organized throughout the neighborhood to ensure maximum effectiveness. 

Officers from the Fox Point Police Department are available to meet with citizens individually to provide crime prevention tips, but in the spirit of the Block Watch program, can meet with an entire neighborhood.  One great opportunity for this to occur is at a neighborhood block party.

 For more information please email Sergeant Meg Morelli or call 414-351-8911.

The Home Security Survey is an effective crime prevention tool you can use to maintain or increase the security of your home. A Home Security Survey is conducted by specially trained members of the Fox Point Police Department and includes an assessment of current hardware and procedural security, suggestions for increased security and other crime prevention information. This service is provided at no charge for Fox Point residents and business owners/managers. 

What to Expect From an Inspection

The security survey begins at your front door, and includes an inspection of all other doors, windows, locks, lights, and landscaping. The police officer inspecting your home will compile a checklist of security weaknesses and hazards that require your attention. This list is then accompanied by recommendations you should employ to reduce the opportunity for crime. The inspection report and recommendations are left entirely with you, and all aspects of the inspection are kept confidential.

Please call Officer John Adamaitis or Sergeant Meg Morelli at 414-351-8911 if you are interested in this program.

Operation Identification

Operation Identification is an anti-burglary and theft program designed to help you prevent theft of your property.  It also assists the Fox Point Police Department to return your property to you in the event it is stolen.

Operation Identification has two parts.  First, you mark all your valuables so that they can be identified as yours.  Second, you display a sticker that tells burglars that you have identified your property.

What makes Operation Identification program so effective in reducing burglary in areas where it has been properly implemented is that burglars and thieves know it is difficult to sell stolen articles that can be traced to them and that they run a greater risk of being caught and convicted if readily identifiable items of someone else's property are found in their possession.

Participation in the program very simple.

1. Pick up one of the "free loan" engravers at the Fox Point Police Department. 
2. List the items you wish to protect by name, full description, serial and model number, and value on an inventory sheet. 
3. Engrave your drivers license number on the items and list that location on the sheet as well.  
4. Keep the inventory sheet in a safe place with your other valuable papers.

For more information, or to pick up an engraver, contact Officer John Adamaitis at (414) 351-8911.