ASSESSING YOUR SECURITY LIGHTING NEEDS

Ask yourself these questions to determine if and where you need security lighting: 

• Is the sidewalk outside your house or apartment hard to see at night? 
• Do you feel uneasy entering your house, apartment, garage or yard at night? 
• Do tress or shrubs put your entryway or porch in shadows? 
• Has property been stolen from your balcony, garage or yard? 
• Has your house or apartment been burglarized? 

According to Public Service Company, something as simple as leaving an outside light on at night can keep you from becoming a victim. Keeping a 60-watt incandescent bulb on all night, every night, costs less than $1.50 per month. It costs only 52 cents if you use a compact fluorescent bulb.

If you add an inexpensive photocell, you don’t have to turn your porch light on. It automatically goes on at dusk and off at dawn. Photocell attachments, found in hardware departments, cost less than $5.00 and attach by simply screwing into the light socket.

An outside light that’s on makes it safer for people – yourself, friends, and family – coming to your home. Besides keeping criminals away, outdoor lighting reveals ice, uneven concrete, beware of dog signs and other potential hazards that can cause accidents.

HOME BURGLARY PREVENTION 

• Buy a timer, plug it into the wall socket and plug a lamp into it. Set it for the nighttime hours desired.
• If possible, use more than one time, especially for a two-story home.
• Schedule the lights to turn on and off for your usual family patterns.
• Multiple timers allow you to have lights go on and off in the kitchen, family room or bedroom at varying intervals. 
• There are a variety of timers available, including replacement wall switches for use when a conventional plug-in lamp is not available. There are times that adjust to the amount of sunlight throughout the year. 
• Motion detectors turn on lights when something moves in a set area. Crime prevention experts suggest using motion detectors together with a constant light source. 

There are four basic types of security lights: 

• Wall lights are good for entrances, docks and garage areas. They are generally easy to install on any wall or overhang. 
• Floodlights provide directional light for security and safety. They are easy to mount in most locations and provide excellent lighting for signs, garages and building surfaces. 
• Post top lights light up walkways, parking lots and landscaped areas. 
• Bollard lights offer ground level lighting for sidewalks, steps and driveways. They stand about three feet off the ground. 

Check with your local hardware center or lighting store for assistance with what will work for your home.

Check with your local community organization. Some have volunteers and programs to help people in their community who are unable to complete the installation themselves.