Every 12 Seconds a Burglary Occurs
In the United States, a household burglary occurs approximately every 12 seconds. In 2006, it was reported that there were 2,669,050 household burglaries committed in that year alone. As a homeowner, we have to ensure our home protection so we don’t become a victim. Let’s discuss different ways to prevent this from happening to you.
Burglars Want to Appear Invisible
Burglars like to keep hidden from sight as much as possible. They take preference to homes that have hedges and bushes that block the view from the windows in a home. Even in respect to the smaller windows your home may have, make sure there is a clear, unobstructed view of the street, neighbors to each side, and the neighbors to the rear of your property.
Outdoor Lighting is Important
It is imperative to keep your home’s exterior brightly light at night, most importantly around the entrances of your home. Make a point of turning on the lights for the outside of your home if you plan on leaving for the evening. Burglars prefer to do their work in darkness, and having a brightly lit home that is visible from all directions will deter a possible home burglary.
Create the Illusion Someone is Home
Make it appear as though someone is currently at home. Especially if you plan to be away for a lengthy period of time. This can be achieved by leaving on the television or radio, with the volume level high enough so it can be heard just outside of your home. Burglars take preference to a home that appears unoccupied. The last thing they want is a run-in with the homeowners.
If you plan on leaving your home for weeks at a time, be sure to temporarily halt the delivery of the daily newspaper and mail as well. It’s also a good idea to install a random timer lighting system on the outside of your home as well. If you decide to leave your home looking like it is unoccupied, you may as well put up a sign on the front lawn saying, “We are not home, please let yourself in and help yourself to whatever you like!”
Home Protection Alarm Systems – They Really Work!
There are many different types of home alarm systems available to consumers. One option is to hire a company to install a monitored alarm system, which also requires the homeowner to pay a monthly service fee. Another option is a do-it-yourself home alarm system which is much more reasonable and can be installed by the homeowner him/herself.
The systems that can be purchased over the counter usually have many different features. Some of these include an automatic phone dialer, extremely loud sirens, bright lights that flash, and a voice activation/deactivation feature. Many of these include a motion/sound detection feature that will trigger the alarm when it detects either of the two. All of these features are designed to keep your home secure and keep unwanted guests from entering your property.
Home Surveillance Systems
Current technology allows gives us the ability to purchase and install wireless home surveillance systems ourselves over the counter, these are also called “plug and play” systems. If you’re on a tight budget, then even a “dummy” security camera would suffice as they are very authentic looking and cost much less than a fully functional system.
Some “dummy” cameras even have a motion detector built-in and will rotate and flash when movement is detected. Be sure to install them in highly visible areas where they can easily be seen by any unwanted visitors, as it will immediately send them back into the direction in which they came.
Please consider these precautions to protect your home and your family from a possible home burglary or home invasion.
10 Easy Steps to Prevent a Home Burglary – Home Protection
1/ Make sure there are no shrubs or trees blocking the view of windows and doors.
When shrubs and trees block the view of windows and doors it gives a burglar a place to hide while they are trying to break into your home. Nobody passing by will be able to see them as they are attempting to break-in.
2/ Install motion sensor lighting around the perimeter of your home.
Exterior lighting is one of the best defenses against a home break-in at night. The burglar does not want to be seen. Very often if a motion-activated light comes on the burglar will leave the area immediately.
3/ Make sure all door and window locks actually lock.
We’ve all had the situation where the window or door lock simply doesn’t work. We think, “Oh, I’ll get around to replacing that soon.”. Well, believe me, the burglar will find it and use that means to enter your house. Fix all locks today.
4/ When leaving your home during the day leave the TV or radio on.
A burglar will usually try to avoid an occupied home. They normally do not want a confrontation. If they approach your home and hear a TV or radio they will logically assume someone is home and just walk away.
5/ When leaving your home at night leave at least one light on and the radio or TV on.
Unless the burglar is looking to commit a home invasion he will avoid your home when it looks like someone is inside. Always give the impression that your home is occupied.
6. Put a sticker that says “These premises protected by XYZ Alarm company” on windows and doors.
You can buy these stickers for a very low price. They are like decals. Even if you do not have an alarm system the burglar will not take the chance that you do and he will move on to an easier target. Check out DecalsNStickers.com for these.
7/ Do not let delivered newspapers pile up in your driveway.
When a burglar sees newspapers accumulated in your driveway or on your lawn they know that no one is home and that your home is an easy target.
8/ Do not let your mail sit in the mailbox for more than one day.
See #7 above
9/ Get to know your neighbors and ask them to “keep an eye out”.
We all know that the more eyes we have to watch our neighborhood the safer it is. If you are going away for the day don’t hesitate to let a neighbor know and ask them to just keep an eye out.
10/ Install simple door and window contact alarms that make a loud noise when activated.
These alarms are very easy to install, are inexpensive, and can prevent your home from being burglarized. When a burglar activates one of these alarms and hears the noise it makes they will very often flee the area. They do not want to draw attention to their actions.
Burglary Prevention – What To Do, Now!
The latest statistics from 2006 show that there were 2,669,050 household burglaries that year. That equals 1 household burglary occurring every 12 seconds. Are you doing everything you should be not to become a victim? There are some easy things you can do to avoid being burglarized.
Burglars do not like to be seen
Cut hedges and bushes that are blocking a clear view of your windows. No matter how small the window is make sure there is a clear view of it by a passer-by, your neighbors to the sides of your neighbors to your backyard.
Exterior lighting
Light up the area around your home at night, especially around doorways. If you go out for the evening make sure you turn your outside lights on. Burglars like to work in dark areas and will avoid a home that is lit up and clearly visible from the street.
Make it look like someone is home
If you are going out for the day make it a practice to leave a radio on or the television on. This helps to give the appearance that the home is occupied. A burglar would rather break into a home that is unoccupied instead of risking a confrontation with a homeowner. If you are going on vacation, stop your newspaper and mail delivery and put a couple of lights on a random timer. If you don’t, you might as well put up a sign that says, “This house is vacant. We will not be back for some time. Please, feel free to go in and browse around and take what you want”.
Install an alarm system
You can either have an alarm company install a monitored alarm system and pay a monthly fee or, you can install an economically priced alarm system that you can install yourself. The systems you can easily install yourself can include different features. The system can have an automatic phone dialer, it can include an ear-piercing siren, a bright flashing light, or have all of these features. There is even a motion alarm available that triggers the sound of an angry barking dog. All of these things will help to scare a burglar away from your property.
Install a surveillance camera
Maybe in the past, this would have been a tough thing to do, but with the various wireless models available on the market today it is very easy to find a “plug and play” surveillance camera. If you cannot afford a real surveillance camera you might want to consider a “dummy security camera”. They are much less expensive than the real ones but usually have the actual outside casings so they look authentic. Some of them even rotate when motion is detected and some have flashing red lights.
Put them in very visible areas around your house. Places where a potential burglar is likely to see them. The burglar will most likely move on to an easier target instead of taking a chance.
Take a few minutes to consider home protection as a priority. You, your family, and your home could reduce the odds of being a victim of burglary.
Now you know how to keep your home safe, check out this article on keeping yourself safe!