In 2018, the Mason County Sherrif visited with HIEA members at the Pool House and shared several suggestions for safety and security on the island. They include:
Be sure doors and windows are secured with deadbolt locks in addition to usual door locks. Use long screws to secure the lock system into door jam studs. Use dowels/broom sticks in sliding doors.
If you have a home alarm system, it should be LOUD. In addition, some people have installed security cameras that allow monitoring through WIFI/internet. If you are interested in camera security information the following systems were discussed; Ring, Simply Safe, Night Owl, and YI Home. More information is available at Google and Amazon.
LED lights are a good deterrent as well. An outdoor pole and light is available from PUD#3 for an LED that costs about 30 cents a day/$10 a month. Inside the home, night lights are good; a new twist was one called a TV Simulator. This is a reflecting bulb that makes it look like a TV is playing. (Check out Google/Amazon) Leaving a radio on to a talk radio station also helps.
Keep your outside clean and trimmed. Shows you live there and also makes it easy to see around your house.
You can get infra-red lights that stretch across your driveway. When the lightwave is broken you are alerted on your phone/WIFI. Cables across driveways were discussed
but not encouraged as that indicates no one is home.
Be aware of your surroundings and things that are not normal or usual. Even taking a photo is a good way to document happenings or people that don’t look like they belong here.