Summer Safety Tips

Summer provides the perfect opportunity to spend lots of time outside. People take advantage of the sunny weather to do outdoor projects, take their families to fun places, and relax. For criminals, however, it's a very busy time of year.

It can be easy to forget to close a door or window, but if they are left open it creates an easy opportunity for a burglar. Criminals focus on easy targets; make it difficult for them to choose you. The Greenwich Police Department wants to remind you of some tips to keep yourself, your family, your home and your valuables safe.

At Home

• Always lock your doors and windows especially at night and when you're away and always activate your alarm
both when you're home and away
• Close your garage and pet doors
• Secure ladders and tools so they can't be used to gain entry into your home
• Be wary of anyone who approaches your front door and don't let them take up too much of your time. Criminals
work together; one will come to your door and distract you while the other sneaks into your home. Ask for an ID
of a utility person.
• Be a good neighbor, lookout for one another.
• Excessive dog barking could be a sign of an intruder and may warrant a call to the Police Department.
• Report suspicious activity to the Police non-emergency line (203 622-8001
• Police Crime Prevention Specialists from the Community Impact Office offer a free security check to show
vulnerabilities in your home.

Car Safety

• Never leave your car running unattended, even to dash into a store
• Always roll up your windows and lock your car even in hot weather
• Never leave valuables in plain sight
• Park cars in well-lit areas
• Never leave any keys in the car or ignition

Heatstroke

While the elderly are at greatest risk for heat stroke, infants and children are also at risk. In particular, infants or young children who are unattended in locked a car may suffer heat-related illness quickly, since the indoor temperature of a locked car can rise to dangerous levels even in moderate weather.

It is critically important that parents understand the medical dangers inherent in leaving children unattended in cars in addition to the obvious safety risks. Anyone who leaves a child under 12 years old unattended in a vehicle long enough that it represents a substantial risk to the child's well-being, could be found guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

• Never leave a child alone in a car
• Where's baby? Look before you lock
• Always lock the car and keep keys out of reach
• Teach children that a car is not a play area
• On an 80° day, a car can reach deadly levels in just ten minutes
• Remember, when a child's temperature reaches 107°, they die

Pet Safety

• Never allow your dog to roam
• Same as your children do not leave a dog unattended in a hot car.

Visit the Greenwich Police Department's website here for further information.

 

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Submitted by Wilton, CT

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