Neighborhood Safety

Crime Prevention Tips

• Make your home look occupied. Leave some lights and a radio on when you’re out.

• Lock your doors. Never leave your house open for “just a moment.” It’s best to keep your doors locked even when you are at home, but always lock your doors when you’re out. This includes garages and connecting doors between the garage and your home.

• Use deadbolt locks.  A properly-installed extended deadbolt lock is one of the best deterrents to burglars.

• Don’t hide a key outside.  Burglars know all the secret hiding places. Instead, leave an extra key with a trusted neighbor or friend.

• Brace sliding glass doors. If the door is braced, the only way a burglar can get through it is to break it.

• Install good exterior lighting, especially near doorways and at the rear of the house. Motion sensor lights and other good lights won’t let an intruder hide in the dark.

• Ensure that the emergency release cord for your garage door is not within easy reach from any garage windows. For example, do you have glass windows on your garage door that can be broken into and then provide easy access to the release cord that will open your garage door and allow an intruder to enter? If so, shorten the length of the cord so that you can still use it from inside the garage, but it can not be manipulated from any other position.

• Keep trees, bushes, and shrubs trimmed.  If landscaping is overgrown, someone hiding near your windows and doors cannot be seen.

• Stop mail and other deliveries. If you go on vacation, stop deliveries or have one of your neighbors collect your mail and porch deliveries for you.

• Get a dog. Even a small dog may be a deterrent to a burglar.

• Install an alarm system. Houses with alarms are avoided by burglars. Just remember that if your home is protected by a monitored alarm system that is set to automatically contact emergency services when it is triggered, the City of Rockwall has a statutory requirement for you to have a current residential alarm permit issued by the city. You may access the permit here, along with instructions for how to apply.

• Install a wired doorbell camera and/or surveillance cameras. Your surveillance video can help law enforcement with investigations if someone does try to break into or damage your property. Many security systems now offer affordable cloud-based video storage plans that can keep video recordings for 60 days or longer, if needed.

• Put a sign in your yard and in your windows announcing you have an alarm system and surveillance cameras.  The mere perception of cameras, alarms, and dogs are among the top deterrents to burglars. Not only will this serve as a preventive measure against intruders, it will also inform emergency responders who may need to enter your home without your assistance.

​​

Home Safety

• Be sure your street address number is in clear view and well-lit so police and other emergency responders can identify your home quickly.

• Install a peephole or wide-angle viewer in all entry doors so you can see who is outside without opening the door.

• Ask for photo ID from unexpected service or delivery people before letting them into your home. If you are the least bit worried, call the company to verify.

• Write down the makes, models, and serial numbers for your property – computers, televisions and other electronics, tools, bicycles and other recreational equipment/vehicles, appliances, etc., and keep the list current. Take pictures of high-value jewelry, art, and other collectibles and store them in a secure place with supporting documentation for each item.  Then if anything is ever stolen, it can be reported to the police properly, and this information will assist in recovery.

• Apply your Texas driver's license number or another ID number to your property to help recover items if they are stolen. The numbers need to be engraved and/or permanently applied.

• If you arrive home and something looks questionable (e.g., a slit screen, broken window, open door, etc.) DON’T ENTER YOUR HOME. Call the police from a neighbor’s home or some other place a safe distance away.

• Get to know those who live around you, and be an active member of our neighborhood.  Knowing our neighbors here in Park Place is perhaps one of the best crime deterrents we have access to. Extra sets of eyes keeping watch on your property, reporting suspicious activity, and helping keep one another safe. Be sure to return the favor and keep an eye on their home too.

​​

Preventing Car Break-Ins

• Remove all valuables from your car. Don’t leave anything visible that might tempt a burglar. Even that phone charger may be enough to grab the attention of a teenager who’s looking for a quick rip-off. If you must store something in your vehicle, lock it in the trunk, out of sight.

• Close the windows and lock your doors every time you leave your vehicle.

• Park in well-lighted areas and don’t park near shrubs or fences that could provide concealment for criminals.

• Keep your driveway and yard well-lit all night. It’s harder for criminals to hide in the light.

• Don’t keep spare keys or a garage door opener inside the car, especially overnight.

• Be observant. Notify the police if you see anyone acting in a suspicious manner such as loitering around cars or looking into cars in the neighborhood.