If you use a pole in the track to secure sliding doors and windows make sure it is the right length. It should be within a 1/2 inch of the track’s length.

Reason: If the pole is not long enough to keep the criminal from slipping his fingers in, it is of no use. Staple or tape a piece of string to the pole to make it easy to remove when it is in the track.

Better yet get a “track stop” or “track lock” that you can put in the tracks. They are far better than the “poor man’s version” of a dowel.