In a community newsletter sent out on Tuesday, Seattle Police Department crime prevention officer Terrie Johnston advised the community on how to help keep your home from being a target in an all-too-common residential burglary. From the newsletter:
The most common way used to force entry through a door with a wooden jamb is to kick it open. When a door is kicked in, the frame usually splinters and gives way, allowing the burglar to enter. The weakest point is almost always the strike plate that holds the latch or lock bolt in place. The average door strike plate is secured only to the doorframe molding. These lightweight moldings are often tacked on to the doorframe and can be torn away with a firm kick. Increasingly, we’ve noticed a trend of burglars increasingly using pry tools at doors to gain entry into homes.
To help fortify your home against intruders, SPD suggests reinforcing your exterior doors and deadbolt locks through a few minor upgrades that can be done at home. Read the full list of suggestions in the newsletter (.pdf).