Tasmania Police asks two things of windows and sliding doors: that they lock, and that they cannot be lifted out of their tracks. It gives the most detail, while Victoria Police and the WA Police Force add points of their own about deadlocks, keys and what sits near the glass.
Window locks
Tasmania Police suggests fitting every window with good-quality window locks that are keyed alike, and says windows should be secured so they cannot be lifted from their tracks. Victoria Police and the WA Police Force both include windows in their advice to fit deadlocks on external doors and windows. The WA checklist asks the same question more simply: do your windows have key-locks or other security devices?
One habit undoes a good window lock. Victoria Police says not to leave keys in window locks.
Sliding doors and sliding windows
For sliding doors, Tasmania Police suggests locking handles on both sides, with extra locking bolts on the inside. For sliding windows and doors alike, it suggests a blocker in the track, so the panel cannot open far enough for a person to climb through.
Louvre windows
Louvres get their own warning. Tasmania Police says burglars find it easy to take the glass slats out and get inside quickly, and suggests either replacing louvre windows or fitting bars or security grills to the outside. The WA checklist, for its part, asks whether there are security screens on your doors and windows.
Fresh air with the window open
An open window is the one most people forget. Tasmania Police suggests security grills or flyscreens so you are safer when windows are open, and locking mechanisms or stoppers so a window opens only a small way.
What sits near the glass
A window is also a view in. Victoria Police says to keep valuables away from windows, and the WA Police Force says to keep them out of sight from windows. Its checklist goes down to small things, asking whether chargers and cables for your electronics are out of view.
Outside, the question is what someone could stand on. Tasmania Police says to think about where your wheelie bins live, because a bin can be used to climb onto a balcony or through a window, and to remove tree branches that give a way up to a balcony. The WA checklist asks whether bins are kept away from access points such as fences.
A window may be your way out
Locks on windows have the same catch as deadlocks on doors. Tasmania Fire Service says windows and locks must be easy to open from the inside, so you can get out quickly, and that everyone in the house should be able to open doors and windows fitted with security bars, or you should talk together about other ways out.
Windows and doors keep someone out only while they are locked, which is why the keys matter as much as the locks: keys and changing locks covers them. If a window has already been forced, what to do after a break-in starts with your safety. Both sit beside police advice on doors and locks among the six positions of the bolt.