On September 28, 2015 the FBI released the 2014 edition of its annual report on Crime In The United States “There were an estimated 8,277,829 property crimes (burglaries, larceny-thefts, and motor vehicle thefts) reported by law enforcement. Financial losses suffered by victims of these crimes were calculated at approximately $14.3 billion.”
We want to point out that even though this represents a 4.3% decrease from the previous year’s number of property crimes, it still means that burglary is the number one crime in the United States.
Why has it decreased? We give credit to the neighborhood watch program and the increasing use of home surveillance/security cameras. They have become increasingly inexpensive making them affordable to homeowners.
Our years of research on this topic and law enforcement personnel will confirm that one of the reasons burglary is so popular is because homeowners make it so. It is a proven fact that over 30% of all home burglaries happen through unlocked doors and windows.
In today’s article we are going to give you some of the best home security tips you can get.
- We start with the basics of removing potential hiding places near lower-level doors and windows. Most burglaries are committed during the day, so a hiding place near a lower-level door or window-the entry point on the house-is very beneficial to a burglar. Don’t forget the garage door. An open garage door may often lead to a free entry into the house.
- Don’t overlook trees that are close to a second story window. It is not unheard of for a burglar to climb a tree to get into an open second-story window.
- If your neighborhood does not already have a watch program going on, it is easy enough to start. Contact your local Police Department and they can help you get one going. The National Neighborhood Watch website is also a great resource for information and tips for homeowners on ways to prevent burglary in your area.
- If you are going to be away from your home for an extended period of time, don’t make a big mistake of announcing that on social media. Give your home the lived in look by having someone cut your grass, avoid newspapers piling up and get a timer that will turn your lights on at dusk.
- The three biggest enemies of the burglar are time, lights and noise. The longer it takes for burglar to get into your house the more likely he is to give up, so slow him down. The bad guys don’t like lights because they cast shadows at night giving away their presence. And finally, they don’t like noise-mostly because it scares them and it may alert neighbors to trouble in the house.
- A key part of slowing the bad guys down in preventing them from getting into your house is to have a solid core door with deadbolts and tempered glass in the windows. The overwhelming majority of burglar break-ins is through the front door or through windows near the front door.
- If you don’t already have a peep hole in your front door, it is easy enough to get one. It is a critical way of preventing home invasion. Never, ever let someone into your house you do not know.
- Install inexpensive window/door alarms. The noise they make on illegal entry is frequently enough to scare most burglars away. We have a great selection of loud alarms at inexpensive prices that will slow down or stop most attempted burglaries.
- Sometimes installing signs on front windows or in your yard warning of guard dog or home security system is enough to deter a burglar.
- A no-brainer is to keep all your doors and windows locked even if you are at home.
- A do it yourself security system is inexpensive and very effective.
- The sound of a barking dog is the primary way of scaring burglars away from your house. Don’t forget to post a sign in your front yard of a vicious guard dog. Our Barking Dog Alarm is effective up to 15 feet away and makes the sound of a barking dog on a motion activated basis.
- Nothing intrigues a burglar more than seeing cars and possessions in a driveway for “easy pickens.” Keep them in a locked garage.
- Have a few self-defense products such as pepper spray or stun guns located around the house, just in case of a home invasion. You don’t want to be defenseless in a situation like that.
- Use common sense. Don’t leave packages on your front porch. They make tempting targets for the bad guys.
- The old idea of hiding a key under the front door mat just doesn’t work anymore. Everybody knows that trick, especially burglars.
- You can hide small valuables inside one of our diversion safes. Burglars only spend an average of 10 minutes inside a house looking for things to steal and then pawn for quick cash. They cannot look everywhere which is why diversion safes are so effective.
- Remember when it comes to burglars “MI CASA ES NON SU CASA.”
The vast majority of burglars are first or second time offenders, so these simple tips will usually work at preventing them from stealing anything or getting into your house.
What other tips can you share with our readers? Don’t be shy, chime in with your thoughts.