How can I prevent home burglary?
To best prevent burglary at your home, you should make your home ?unappealing? to a burglar. The Burglary Prevention Council (BPC) suggests performing a security inspection on your home to determine how easy it would be for a burglar to get in. While completing this inspection be sure to check for the following:
- Consider installing a burglar alarm if your home does not already have one. Some insurance companies provide a 2 percent to 5 percent discount for devices that make a home safer.
- Trim any tall tress or hedges that can be easily climbed to gain access to a second story window
- Do not hide a spare key in an obvious location such as under a planter or doormat. Think about giving the spare key to a neighbor instead.
- Do you have outdoor lighting (street light, porch light)? Burglars are much more likely to break into a dark yard where they can easily hide.
- Make sure you have heavy doors and windows that are equipped with strong, functional locks.
- Rearrange your home furnishings so that your valuables are not easily seen through windows and doors.
- If currently using a door chain to screen visitors, consider using a peep hole that will prevent you from having to open the door to identify visitors.
Try practicing the following good habits for preventing break-ins:
- Follow a routine to ensure that doors and windows are locked and security systems are activated at night.
- Notify the police if you see suspicious activity/persons in your neighborhood.
- Do not carry your house key with a key ring, or in a wallet that bears your address.
Data Source: Burglary Prevention Council. Current Security Measures. http://www.burglaryprevention.org/Home%20Protection%20DIY%20Guide/Current%20Security%20Measures.aspx
Last Updated: July 15, 2009
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