Burglary Prevention

Each year 5 Million homes are burglarized.  A majority of burglaries are preventable.  You can greatly reduce the risk of these burglaries by making your home difficult to enter and less enticing to would be burglars.  REMEMBER LIGHT, TIME, NOISE, AND PLANNING, ARE THE GREATEST WEAPONS TO PREVENT BURGLARIES!

Light

• Make sure that exterior lights are mounted out of reach, so that they cannot be unscrewed.
• Motion sensitive lights are a smart buy, and are now fairly cheap.
• Light timers are also a worth while investment, activating lights and cutting them off when your not at home.
• Trim trees and shrubs near your home, they may look pertty, but they also provide cover and concealment for burglars.

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Time

Make a burglar have to take more time to get into your home, every minute it takes for them to try and get in, the less time they will have look, grab, and get-away; some good ways are as follows:

• Installing deadbolts locks on all exterior doors.
• install double key locks and deadbolts on doors with glass.  This will prevent the burglar form simply breaking the glass and reaching in.  (Note: Make sure that everyone in the house knows where the key is, should a fire happen, they will need it to get out.)
• Place locks on windows, patio doors, and any other exterior feature that may allow access into your home.

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Noise

• Get a dog.  Does not have to be a large dog, just a noise maker.  Burglars tend to want to avoid a large disturbance.  (Remember to vaccinate and spay or neuter your pet.)
• If you have a dog or other pet and plan to be gone for an extended amount of time, have a trustworthy friend or family member come to your home and care for it.  SHould someome be trolling the neighborhood, seeing the activity at you home may make your home less inviting to a would be burglar.
• Alarm systems are a big helper, but also can put a big strain on a budget.  Make sure that the alarm company has up-to-date directions to your home, and that you have a trustworthy friend or family as a contact incase you cannot be reached.