2. Secure your home with solid doors and locks. The exterior doors should be metal, metal clad or solid wood, not hollow core.

  

3. Install a peephole with a 190 degree viewing angle so that you can verify who is on the other side of the door. Never open your door to strangers or solicitors. Most home invaders knock on the front door to gain entry. Don’t rely on door chains to keep intruders out; they won’t.

  

4. If you have an alarm system in your home, activate the perimeter doors and windows while you are in the home. If someone attempts to gain entry, the alarm will sound, giving you time to escape.

 

 5. If you have an alarm system in your home, activate the perimeter doors and windows while you are in the home. If someone attempts to gain entry, the alarm will sound, giving you time to escape.

 

 6. Automatic phone dialers that can call 911, in speakerphone mode, can be effective in getting police assistance if intruders come in. Every home phone should be pre-programmed with this feature and all family members should be trained on how to use it. When intruders come in you will not have much time to contact police.

  

7. Have an escape plan in mind for your family. Train family members on where to go and what to say. This plan should include your children. If someone can escape, the invaders will have lost their advantage of privacy and time.

  

8. Never stop thinking if you are held captive. Stay calm and take advantage of any opportunities that present themselves.

 

 9. Report all suspicious activity to police. If you see something out of the ordinary, call. You are not bothering us: it is our job!

 

 10. Often, police are asked if people should resist invaders. There is no set answer for this, seeing as it depends on the physical and mental capabilities of each person.

 

 11. Don’t fight over property with an intruder. Let them have the property; it is not worth your life and can be replaced. Never follow the intruder from scene, call 911 immediately and get the best description you can get.

 

 To track crime in the City, log onto: http://raidsonline.com/ and select TX-Missouri City in the “Jump to City” selection field.

  

The Missouri City Police Department also offers Home Inspections. A certified inspector (a police officer with the department) can check your home to determine if it meets the minimum standards set forth in the Texas Insurance Code. For additional information call: Community Liaison Officer Dan Flagg, 281-403-8705.