WICHITA, Kansas, April 2, 2007 – Officer Jason Dautrich walks around a Wichita yard pointing out different things telling the homeowner to "put cactus, barberry or thorny type plants under a window."

Dautrich's partner, Officer Joe Seitz, says that will help keep bad guys away.

"Don't allow them to get close enough to allow them to look inside," Seitz said. "Plant things like that if not cactus some other type of thorny."

Recommendations on what to plant in your garden may not seem like advice you'd typically get from a police officer, but landscaping advice is exactly what Chris Thomas is getting from two Wichita Police Officers.

It's not about having the best yard on the block, rather the goal is to keep Thompson and his family safe. In one instance, the officers point out replacing a privacy fence with a wrought iron one may help so burglars don't have a place to hide near a basement window.

Free-of-charge, officers will come to any home and give homeowners pointers to reduce their risk of being a victim.

"Your front door is already taken care of," Seitz said. "It's not overgrown. It's visible from the street. It doesn't mean (thieves won't break in) but you've done everything you can."

These officers also recommend keeping shrubs and trees cut below window levels and to keep trees trimmed higher than six feet so it doesn't provide cover for thieves to hide in.

"If it has a great big tree or bush, and you can't see the house or the street, then somebody's going to find that spot to hide," Officer Dautrich said.

Chris Thomas' house gets a passing grade. Officers don't find any major problems, but give Chris some tips he says he'll take to heart.

If you want officers to come visit your house, call the WPD Community Policing section at 268-4101.

During the department's "First Tuesday" meeting on April 3, this will be the topic of discussion.  That meeting is from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Jackson Elementary School 2717 N. Woodlawn.