If your home has ever been the target of burglars, you know the gut-wrenching feeling that follows – how violated you feel afterwards. A small increase in property crime has accompanied our county’s large expansion in population. While no one is able to truly “burglar proof” any home, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office is taking steps to increase community awareness, providing security advice and related services to residents both before and after a burglary is committed. It is our hope that by instituting some basic safety measures and by taking advantage of a CCSO-conducted security survey your home will become less of a target for criminals.

• By contacting our Community Relations Section (COPS) personnel at 213-6114 you can request a community policing deputy visit your home to conduct a security survey. This service is FREE to any Clay County resident and takes just 30 minutes or less. The peace-of-mind you’ll receive is well worth the time!

Meanwhile, here are some tips we can all follow to better protect our property and families:

• Consider installation of a professional, monitored alarm system
• While out of town, have mail and newspaper delivery postponed or a neighbor pick it up regularly in your absence
• Proper lighting of your house and surrounding yard and driveway is crucial to preventing a break-in
• While on vacation, attach interior lamps to automatic on/off switch system
• “Beware of Dog” signs are a great deterrent - so is an actual dog
• Landscape under first-floor windows using thorny plants such as rose and holly bushes

These tips might seem like common sense, but hopefully are worthwhile reminders for even the most safety-conscious residents.