Burglary - Prepare and Protect Your Home

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 home owner, we have to take the necessary precautions to ensure that we do not become a victim of this increasingly common offense. 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, and 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 you 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 that someone is home.

Make it appear as though someone is currently at home if you plan to be away for an 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, and the last thing they want is a run in with the home owners. If you plan on leaving the 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 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 then 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 take these precautions into consideration to protect your home and your family from a possible home burglary.