(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a series of articles about property crime in Great Bend and the steps that are being taken to address it.)

As local officials continue to encourage residents to make it as difficult on crooks as they can, attention turns to the close of our annual outdoor season, and the need to secure all of those items that made the warm-weather months fun outdoors.
Information from the National Crime Prevention Council explains that special precautions should be considered when dealing with the parts of our homes that are actually outdoors.
Many of us make use of porches, decks, yards and garages as extensions of our living space and we have property there that is commonly used and, unfortunately, commonly stolen, too.
According to NCPC information, outdoor security tips include”
• Gate latches, garage doors, and shed doors should all be locked with high-security, laminated padlocks.
• Gate latches, garage doors, and shed doors need to be locked after every use — get into the habit of keeping them that way so anyone who checks out the residence will find it’s not an easy target.
• Grills, lawn mowers, and other valuables should be stored in a locked garage or shed, or if left out in the open, they should be hidden from view with a tarp and securely locked to a stationary point.
• Bikes should be secured with a “U-bar lock” or quality padlock and chain. Bikes should always be locked, even if they are left “just for a minute.”
Many of us continue to use outdoor grills, fireplaces and other equipment on decks throughout the cooler seasons, and so that equipment should be kept secure.
If that deck is commonly used, it’s important that the entrance from it to the home should be secured.
• Sliding glass doors should have strong, working key locks.
• A dowel or a pin to secure a glass door should be installed to prevent the door from being shoved aside or lifted off the track.
• The sliding door should be locked every night and each time the house is left.
Great Bend Police Department Lt. Scott Harper is encouraging a renewed interest in Neighborhood Watch programs around Great Bend.
Anyone interested in developing a Neighborhood Watch program can contact Harper, 793-4120.