Burglary is defined as the breaking in to and illegal entry of a structure with the intent to commit a crime, and while the statistics state that property crime is going down that is no reason to let down your guard. Remaining vigilant and taking an active role in protecting your home from burglars is the best way to ensure that you do not become a burglary statistic. There are many things that you can do to keep from becoming one of the 2,329,950 homes in the United States that are burgled annually. Not all steps to prevent burglary include the installation of a high tech security system either, many of the things that you can do to keep your home protected are small and affordable changes.
When the subject of home protection is raised, the first thought that everyone jumps to is the installation of an expensive home security system; however, there are many other preventative measures at hand. Certainly a home security system is one of the best ways to deter burglary, as statistics show that a home without an alarm system is 2.7 times more likely to be burglarized; however, installation is costly and not every family can afford such a big step. There are many other options that can deter burglary though, including: using automatic light timers, utilization of garages, placing radios and televisions on automatic timers, lowering the volume on telephones in the home, hold mail and newspaper delivery, arrange for home maintenance, placing drapes or blinds on timers, avoid leaving telling garbage out until the last minute, inform a trusted neighbor when you are leaving town, increase lighting around your home, display alarm decals, avoid hiding keys outside your home, keep valuables away from windows, lock all doors and windows whether you are home or not, install good locks on patio doors and garages, purchase insurance and inventory your belongings, and be a vigilant member of the community.
Without further ado, here's a list of the top 17 ways to protect your home from burglars:
Automatic light timers can be purchased from hardware stores, megastores (like Target and Wal-Mart) and occasionally from your local grocery store. These timers vary in price depending upon the complexity of the item you choose but for the purposes of keeping your home looking lived in even a basic timer will do. Timers should be placed in commonly used rooms of the home, such as the living room and the bedroom and laps should be plugged in to them so that they can be set to turn on at a “normal” time. As the lights come on according to a normal schedule in your home burglars will not be able to determine that you are not home based on a lack of activity in the home.
Not all burglary deterrence is focused on the times when you are not home, for example by parking your cars outside your home you can tip off burglars as to your daily schedule. Instead of allowing your cars to tip off outsiders as to your schedule you should always make use of your garages to conceal your cars so that no outsiders are able to determine a pattern in your daily activity. Many times burglars will watch homes that park their cars on the street or in the driveway of the home because when these cars are missing they assume that no one is home to catch them in the act.
Lights aren’t the only thing in your home that should be set on automatic timers. Thieves are becoming much more knowledgeable in regards to the tricks that homeowners use to deter them, things such as placing lights on timers; however, one thing that seems to be particularly effective is placing televisions and radios on timers as well. By turning up the volume on these electronics so that they can be head from outside of the home (don’t make them too loud though!) you will confuse any potential intruders with the noise coming from inside the house. While many people commonly use lighting to implicate activity in the home, they often forget to add the noise element which is often the most convincing aspect of deterring invasion. Timers for televisions and radios should be placed on a schedule similar to the usual schedule that you keep at home.
This method of deterring break-ins is becoming somewhat obsolete as more and more households eliminate the use of landline telephones; however, for those homes that still have landlines it is important to turn down ringers when you are out of town. If ringers are not turned down or muted there is a risk that your phone will ring repeatedly without answer, tipping off potential burglars to your absence.
One of the most well known tips in deterring burglars is to hold mail and newspaper delivery when you are leaving town. If you are only leaving town for a few days you may find that it is easier to have a neighbor pick up your mail and newspaper, but it is important that this is done in a timely manner to avoid tipping off potential intruders. Leaving newspapers in the driveway is one of the first signs that your home is unoccupied and if you have a regular mailbox leaving mail inside is an easy way for burglars to determine whether or not you are home. Some homes utilize lock box mail systems which avoid the necessity for stopping mail when leaving town for just a few days; however, homes that don’t use this system should stop mail for even the shortest absence as their mailbox can be opened easily by passersby.
Arranging for home maintenance is not an issue when leaving home for just a few days; however, if you plan on taking a long vacation or even if you are going to be in the hospital recovering from surgery for a little while it is important to arrange for home maintenance. Being away from your home for an extended period means that there is no one home to cut the grass and do the normal chores that get done when a home is occupied. Hiring someone that you trust to come by and cut the grass and do any other home maintenance that you routinely do is a great way to indicate that your home is occupied.
Much as your patterns of light use can tip off potential thieves as to when you are and are not home, your use of blinds and drapes does the same thing. Fortunately there are a few options on the market that can be fitted to blinds and drapes to open and close them on a timer. While these systems are more expensive than light timers due to the complexity of the technology in them, they are worth purchasing particularly if you are intending to be out of town for an extended period of time. If you cannot afford a timer system like this, another solution is to pay a trusted neighbor to come to your house each afternoon to pull your blinds or drapes. Having a neighbor perform this task provides the benefit of human action, meaning that if your timer malfunctions your blinds and drapes will still be pulled; however it also brings the worry that perhaps your chosen neighbor is not as trustworthy as you initially thought.
Garbage is one telltale sign that tips off burglars to a variety of situations and as such it should be monitored whether you are or are not at home. When you are home your garbage can be used by potential burglars to determine what items you have in your home that are worth stealing, this is particularly important to keep in mind over the Christmas holidays and when making large purchases. It is important to hold on to boxes from valuables and big purchases until the last minute on trash day rather than leaving them out over night for thieves to take note of and plan a burglary.
Garbage is also telling when you are not home; leaving out no trash cans on garbage day or having a neighbor pull out your empty trashcans can also tip off burglars to the fact that there is no one home. The best way to avoid this situation is to ask a neighbor to use your trashcans and leave them out for you on trash day so that when they are left out, they will at least be filled with garbage.
It is always helpful to have a neighbor that you trust in the neighborhood, someone that you can leave a spare key with and have keep an eye on your home when you are not there. While a neighbor watching your home may not be able to prevent a burglary from occurring while you are not home, it is a good way to have someone actively watching your home so that you can find out if something is amiss. A trusted neighbor can also inform the police and you if something unusual has occurred at your home while you are out of town. In the case of burglaries that involve theft items are rarely recovered but when they are it is because of fast action that tipped off the police and local pawn shops to be looking out for certain items that were stolen from your home. Having someone watch over your home is also a good way to handle other emergency situations such as fires, broken pipes that cause flooding, or other damage occurring as a result of natural disasters.
Increasing lighting around your home is always a good idea whether you are leaving town or staying at home. Dimly lit properties are far easier targets for thieves because there are more places to hide and more areas of the home that provide covert access. Keeping your house well lit with spotlights or, preferably, motion detection lights, is a good way to deter burglars from targeting your home. Reducing the ability for burglars to break in to your home without being spotted is one of the best, yet affordable methods to lower your chances of being burglarized.
Whether or not you have a security system installed in your home, often times all it takes is the presence of an alarm system sticker or decal in the window to deter break-ins. Having a fake decal rarely works for this purpose; however, displaying a real decal from a legitimate alarm company works well in preventing burglaries since inexperienced burglars cannot tell if you actually have an alarm system installed or not. Note that this is not always the case and experienced burglars will be able to determine whether or not you actually have a system installed.
Many households keep spare keys hidden under planters or doormats or even fake rocks in the front garden; however, none of these methods escapes the seasoned burglar and the chances that they will get caught lower based on the fact that they had a key to gain entry. Rather than hide a key outside the home it is always a better idea to leave a copy of your house key with a trusted neighbor who can not only let you in if you lose your key, but also let themselves in to check for issues around the home when you are out of town.
While keeping valuables away from the windows may seem like a common sense suggestion, there is no telling how many homes position laptops and big screen televisions where they can be spotted from the outside of the home. Certainly big screen televisions are harder to conceal but placing any type of valuable within plain view serves to lure in a passing thief who may see your valuable and be unable to resist temptation. This concept does not just apply to electronics; however, it also applies to jewelry and antiques.
Locking doors and windows is another tip that seems like common sense, but for many people who believe that they live in a small safe town this step of home security is one that goes unheeded. Locking doors when you are not home is another line of defense against home intrusion and locking doors when you are home is not only a way to protect areas of the house that you cannot see from your location, but it is also a way to protect yourself from intruders. Some homeowners find that installing alarms on their doors and windows to signal when they are opened is another affordable method of keeping the home and its contents safe.
Two areas of the home that are favorable points of entry for burglars are garage doors and patio doors, these two locations are commonly left unlocked and unsecured. Installing a good deadbolt on garage doors helps to prevent this area of the home serving as an easily accessible break-in point. Patio doors are a little more difficult when it comes to installing locks; however, there are rods that can be placed inside the sliding door track to prevent it from being opened from outside the home. If you find yourself unable to afford a professional rod, one can easily be fashioned from a sawn-off shower rod or curtain rod so long as it fills the length between the door and the wall to prevent opening.
Purchasing insurance and taking inventory of your belongings is not actually a method to protect your home from burglary, but it is a way to recover some of your lost items monetarily should you become a burglary victim. Keeping an inventory of valuable items with pictures is also a good way to help identify missing items after a burglary and provide evidence with your insurance claim.
Not everyone is cut out to play a part on the neighborhood watch committee but being a vigilant member of the community does not mean that you have to take such a position. You can be an important member of your community by keeping open lines of communication with trustworthy neighbors and tipping off your community if you notice something suspicious. By playing a role in keeping your community safe your neighbors are more likely to return the favor and keep their eye on your home and suspicious activity that may occur when you are or are not home.
Those methods of home security listed above are not the end all and be all of protecting your home from burglars, there are many other options available including the two most recommended methods: installing a security system or investing in a dog. Installing a security system can be expensive, but so too can owning a dog. Security systems seem to be the most reliable method of home security but homes with dogs also prove less likely to be broken in to when the dog is of a breed that has either size or a reputation of aggression (this does not mean that your dog should be aggressive.) If you opt for either of these more traditional methods of keeping your home secure make sure that you are prepared for the consequences of each. Owning a security system means that you must be strict about keeping it turned on when the home is empty, you must also commit to a monitoring system if you want an alarm that ensures full protection. Monitoring systems require monthly payments and while this may seem like an added expense, you pay for what you get in terms of monitoring, a good monthly plan doesn’t have to cost a fortune but it does ensure that someone will be watching your home at all times. If you choose to purchase a dog you should first of all be a “dog person” and understand the commitment and responsibility that comes with owning a dog. A dog should never be purchased with the soul intention of keeping it as an alarm system, dogs are living creatures that value being part of a pack, so unless you are prepared to provide a secure home life and cover mandatory veterinary expenses you should consider an alarm system instead. Many people believe that an alarm system will incur more cost when monthly payments are factored in; however, a dog requires vaccinations, food, vet visits and more so in the long run there really is no case of saving money by purchasing a dog rather than a security system.
In the long run, many of the steps that you can take are a matter of common sense but in the everyday hustle and bustle of things we tend to forget. We forget to lock the door as we run out fifteen minutes late for work and we forget to lock the door when we race in after a long day at work unable to wait to change in to the comfortable sweats. Leaving reminder notes throughout your home is a great way to stay on top of the small things that help to not only keep your home safe, but also keep you and your family safe as well. If you have ever been a victim of theft or a home invasion, you know well the feeling of violation and anger that come with the territory and you are much more likely to remain vigilant in staying on top of these little things. If, however, you have never been the victim of any crime, it is easy to forget these steps but talking to someone who has experienced that situation will give you an insight in to why it is so vital to protect your home and family every chance you get.
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