Each year in the U.S. there are more than five million home burglaries. Nine out of ten of these crimes are preventable. The risk of being burglarized can be greatly reduced by taking simple steps to make your home more difficult to enter and less enticing to would-be burglars. Remember the greatest weapons in the fight to prevent burglaries are light, time and noise.
Light
- Make sure that exterior lights are mounted out of reach, so that burglars can’t easily unscrew bulbs.
- Consider buying motion-sensitive lights, which are now available at relatively low prices.
- Use a variable light timer to activate lights inside your home.
- Trim trees and shrubs near doors and windows so burglars can’t hide in the shadows
Time
Make it time-consuming for a burglar to break into your home by :
- Installing deadbolt locks on all exterior doors.
- Installing double key locks in doors which contain glass. This will keep a burglar from being able to open the door simply by breaking the glass and reaching through. (Note: so that everyone in the house can get out in the event of a fire, be sure to keep the key in designated place).
- Placing additional locks on all windows and patio doors.
Noise
- Get a dog. You don’t need a large attack dog; even a small dog creates a disturbance that burglars would prefer to avoid. Remember to License and Vaccinate it.
- Consider having someone care for your dogs in your home while you’re away, instead of boarding them.
- Install an alarm system that will alert neighbors of a burglar’s presence. Most systems can even summon local police directly. Don’t forget to check the Alarm Code.
Other tips to prevent break-ins:
- Think like a burglar. “Case” your home the way a burglar would and look for easy ways to enter your home.
- Be sure valuables such as guns, electronic devices and artwork are not visible from the street.
- Be sure to lock up ladders and tools which could be used to break into your home.
- Work together with your neighbors. Organize a Neighborhood Watch and let your neighbors know when you will be away for an extended period.
- While on vacation, have someone pick up your newspapers and mail, so that they do not accumulate and alert burglars of your absence.
- Display your house number conspicuously and have it well illuminated. This will help police and emergency personnel find your home quickl