Safety starts with you. The Department of Public Safety is here to help and protect you in the event of crime. You can partner with us by doing your part. How? Avoid certain behaviors or situations that could compromise you or your property. Read our tips to help prevent crime in your life.

Know Your Neighbors 

One of the most effective crime deterrents are neighbors looking out for each other.

• Get to know all your adjacent neighbors. It helps you recognize when something is out of place.
  • Make the neighborhood look cared for and connected.
  • Invite neighbors to a social event to establish trust.
  • Agree to watch out for each other’s property during vacations.
  • Walk around your neighbor’s property to check for changes and show that someone is watching the house.
  • Park a car occasionally in vacant driveways.
  • Pick up mail, flyers and newspapers for each other.
  • Put out and remove garbage carts on collection days even if the carts are empty.
  • Water neighbors’ plants or do light yard work to show someone is paying attention.
• Create or join a Neighborhood Watch or Sunnyvale Neighborhood Association.
  • Visit Sunnyvale Neighborhood Associations
  • Form a Neighborhood Watch Group 
  • Sign up for neighborhood communication.

Know Your Wheels

Use these simple prevention tips to protect your vehicle and your family.

• Don’t advertise that you have stuff to steal.
  • Keep valuables out of sight. Take them with you or lock them in the trunk.
• Add warning and immobilizing devices like steering wheel locks and tracking mechanisms. Others include smart keys, kill switches and fuel disablers. Make them visible, if possible.
• Close and lock the trunk, doors, sunroof, and all windows. Take the keys, even for quick errands or in your own garage.
• Consider an audible car alarm to draw attention to attempted theft.
• Park in highly visible, well-lit areas.
• Don’t lead them home:
  • Keep a copy of your vehicle registration in the car, but black out your address.
  • Don’t keep personal information on keys or key chains in case they are stolen.
  • Don’t keep mail in the car with a visible home address for thieves to follow.
  • Avoid leaving your garage door opener in the car. If your car is stolen or burgled, this gives thieves access to your home.

Know Your Stuff

The things we need and use every day are easy for us to see and find. That means they're easy for burglars to find as well. Practice being an inconvenience to a burglar with a few extra steps.

• Keep valuables out of sight of windows and doors.
  • Close blinds when not at home.
  • Take a walk around the property to see what others can see when they look in from a window or door. Move valuables out of sight.
• Use blocking devices on all windows and sliding doors, such as a wooden rod in the sliding track.
• Close and lock garage doors and doors leading into the garage from your home.
• Photograph and record serial numbers of important documents and valuables.
• Store records of valuables off site in a safety deposit box or with a relative.
• Download and activate tracking applications for electronic devices.
• Consider security camera systems – even do-it-yourself ones.
  • Make sure the camera view captures the front entrance and the street. Cameras should record the license plates of passing cars.
• When you're wearing jewelry out of your home, be aware of your surroundings. To avoid jewelry snatching don't let people get too close.
• Avoid mail theft:
  • Pick up mail promptly.
  • Use a lockable mailbox.
  • If you're going away for a while, ask your local post office to hold your mail or ask a trusted neighbor to pick it up for you.
  • Point security cameras at your mailbox.
  • Don't send cash through the mail. Use checks, money orders or pay online.
  • Sign up for Informed Delivery. This free service from the U.S. Postal Service sends you email images of your mail before it's delivered.
  • Don't leave your mailbox flag out. That can signal to thieves that there could be something in there for them.

Know Your Home

The longer it takes to break into a home, the more likely someone will notice and call 911. Make it look like someone is home and make it harder to get inside.

• Lock all gates leading to rear and side entrances. These provide out-of-sight access to burglars.
• All doorways and paths to doors should have exterior lighting. The lighting should give at least 100 feet of visibility and be on timers or motion sensors.
• To make it seem like someone is home use timers for radios, televisions and lights.
• Install an alarm system and display signs for it.
• Remove anything that obstructs the view to windows or doors. Remove anything that would allow someone to hide, like bushes and trees.
• Keep tools, including gardening tools, locked up inside. This prevents thieves from using them to break a window or pry a door.
• Don’t leave shoes on the front porch as a clue to when you are home or not.
• Dealing with solicitors:
  • If someone knocks on the door, acknowledge them even if you don’t want to talk to them. Communicate through a locked door so they know someone is there.
  • Report any suspicious people immediately to the police.
  • Solicitors in Sunnyvale must get a permit. If you do answer, ask to see their permit and identification.
  • If they can’t produce a permit or identification, or they flash them too fast to see, ask them to leave. Then to report suspicious activity, call non-emergency dispatch at 408-730-7180.

Know Who You're Communicating With

Email and phone scams can result in the loss of significant amounts of money. Keep yourself safe online with these tips.

• Avoid telephone scams:
  • Never give out personal information to unknown callers. This includes bank details, credit card or social security numbers.
  • Be wary of high-pressure tactics. There is never an urgency to buy with legitimate businesses.
  • Sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry
  • Immediately hang up on suspicious calls.
• Avoid email scams:
  • Make sure your computer has up-to-date security software installed.
  • Make sure to keep your cell phone updated. These updates are often to maintain security.
  • Use multi-factor authentication. The extra credentials to log into your account offer added security.
  • Back up your computer and cell phone data to an external hard drive or the cloud. This is so you don't lose all your information.