Rolesville police offer real-time feedback to enhance home, business security for free

In any given neighborhood, you’ll find several homes with doorbell cameras.

Some may have fencing; others will have ‘no trespassing’ signs. Homeowners can use all of these steps to try to deter crime at their homes or in their neighborhoods.

Now, the Rolesville Police Department is offering real-time safety feedback for residents through ‘security surveys.’

Residents can request an officer to come to their home to conduct a survey. The security surveys can identify property security strengths and weaknesses. Following the recommendations of the officer can decrease residents’ likelihood of falling victim to property crimes.

“We can’t do anything about [a criminal’s] ability, what they’ve learned, how they do it, and they’re desire to want to do it. But we can take away the opportunity,” officer Brian Strickland said.

According to the Pew Research Center, property crime is more common than violent crime in the United States – from theft to burglary.

That’s true for North Carolina, as well, where property crime accounted for more than 50% of the reported crime in 2022.

These are the top mistakes homeowners make, according to Strickland:

• Leaving car doors unlocked with garage key fobs inside.
• Leaving the door going from the garage into the home unlocked.
• Not utilizing lights around the home at night. (Always keep a spare stash of bulbs for flood lights or exterior lights on hand.)
• Not trimming bushes down around the home. These make good hiding places for people canvassing neighborhoods.
• See something, say something. There have been times where a neighbor thought something was off and did not call.

Strickland said a doorbell camera is a good tool.

“It’s good to have a doorbell camera because you can get a really good shot of somebody’s face when they come up to the house. But to make it even better, you could have cameras on the sides of your house that capture a wider view that the Ring camera’s not going to get,” Strickland explained.

He said the additional cameras can also help identify suspicious vehicles and deter people from committing crimes, as well as exterior flood lights.

“A lot of people, if they see them or have the ones where they say, ‘hey, you’re being recorded…’ I’ve seen people take off after they hear that cue,” Strickland said.

Strickland said doors are some of the most important elements for safety and security.

“A lot of your older deadbolts, they were a whole lot shorter, so they weren’t as secure as the ones we install in homes now,” he said. “Make sure your deadbolt face is an inch.”

“Generally, a lot of your interior doors are going to be hollow. What we do want is for the exterior door to be a solid wood core door. Those are the safest doors, and they’re going to provide you the most security,” Strickland said.

Plus, he recommended using 3-inch screws to secure doors.

“That makes your home a whole lot more secure, if somebody were to kick in the door or damage the door or gain access,” Strickland said.

Strickland has worked with the Rolesville Police Department for nearly nine years. He recently got certified to conduct the surveys.

“When I first got into law enforcement, I didn’t even know I wanted to do [crime prevention work]. I was thinking regular cop patrol…I still enjoy doing that,” Strickland said. “I’ve felt more called to be a voice to educate others and hopefully prevent crimes so officers who are working patrol can focus on other things.”

Residents can request a security survey through the town website.