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Break & Enter Prevention
When thinking about how to prevent this from happening to you, there are a few things you should keep in mind. When thieves break into homes, there's a greater chance of them doing so during the day when many people are at work
To keep unwanted intruders out of your home, you don't have to turn your property into a suburban Fort Knox. There are many solutions that require no money at all -- just a little common sense.
Don't Showboat
Leaving certain things lying around your yard or in plain sight from the road can unwittingly lure thieves onto your property like frantic bargain hunters to a flea market. First, if you have a bicycle or scooter that someone could easy to walk away with, roll it inside or into your garage. Also, after purchasing a new plasma screen television or other pricey electronics or appliance, don't leave the box out beside the trash can or recycling bin. That tells people you have something brand spanking new that could fetch decent dollars on the street. It may also leave them wondering what other goodies are inside your home.
You may also be showing off too much to people walking by your house as well. Open up your curtains, blinds or shades and stroll around the house and see what's visible. If you have a number of expensive items within plain sight or near windows, think about doing a minor redesign to move them out of view.
Tricking Burglars
If burglars can tell that someone is home, there's a greater chance that they won't attempt to break in. Remember, more break-ins occur during the day when many people are at work. For that reason, when you leave the house, create an illusion that someone's still there. You can leave a light on, along with music or your television for good measure. Of course, if you're going to be burning up that electricityby not turning off lights when you leave, make sure you've installed compact fluorescent bulbs that last longer and are better for the environment.
Secure Sliding Doors & Windows
You can easily break into some older sliding doors by simply popping them off of their frame, even when locked. It's harder to do that with newer ones, but you should still take extra precaution to secure them since they can be an inviting entry for burglars. Simply take a strong dowel, steel bar or two-by-four and slide it into the back groove. That way, even if people can pick the lock, the rod stops the door from sliding back and opening.
Don't Leave a Spare Key Out
It may seem like a good idea to leave a spare key hidden under a flower pot or doormat in case you get locked out of your house. But that's an open invitation for a burglar to walk inside without any difficulty. Someone could also see you retrieve the key at some point, giving away your hiding place.
Secure Your Yard
Tall shrubs and overgrown trees are welcome hiding places for criminals to wait until the coast is clear to get into your house. That doesn't mean you need to cut down every plant in your yard. Just keep things manicured.
Low shrubs in front of windows remove additional covering for thieves if they attempt to break in through one. Cut away any tall tree branches that reach upper story windows and protect against attacks from above. Regularly trimming larger bushes and tree branches also eliminates dark shadows that help hide intruders.
Get Police Assistance
Many police stations also offer free security evaluations for your property. Contact your crime prevention officer, find out if he/she can survey your property and help you identify any security steps you can implement.
Prepare Before Vacation
Residential crime spikes during July and August as people set off on summer vacations. If you are going out of town for an extended period of time, alert neighbours you trust about your trip and ask that they keep an eye on your property during that time.
Know Your Neighbours
Getting to know the people you live around is one of the most important safety steps you can take. Closer-knit neighbourhoods generally report fewer break-ins because strangers will stick out, and people are more likely to keep a casual eye on other people's security
Lock it Up
As mentioned earlier, more than 40 percent of break-ins happen without the use of force. That means a lot of people are leaving their houses without locking the doors and windows. If you have a thumb latch lock and a deadbolt on your doors, always lock the dead bolt. Double-check weaker doors such as patio and sliding ones to make sure their locks are strong enough to withstand kicks. When you leave your home, don't forget to lock up the door leading from the garage to inside. Even if your garage door is down, someone can easily open it.
You may need to change your locks to stronger ones to keep out would-be burglars.
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