Home Burglary Facts

Did you know?

A burglary enters a US home every 14 seconds!^*
60% of burglaries occur while a home is occupied!^*
38% of robberies are committed with a gun!^*

^* FBI Crime Statistics

It may not be enough to have locked doors and watchful neighbors. Your loved ones are more important than that. Why risk being a victim of a crime, when you can have peace of mind with a monitored home security system.

Here are 10 things recommended by the National SEcurity Council that you can do to deter crime and burglary of your home:

1. Think like a burglar

Pretend you're a burglar who's scoping out your neighborhood. Look for any feature of your property that offers opportunities to an intruder. For example, a ladder left outdoors offers potential access to second-floor windows. Leaving your garage door open while you do yard work can also tempt criminals.

2. Landscape for security

Design your yard with security in mind. Arrange sight lines so neighbors can see into your yard. A solid fence promotes privacy but makes it easier for criminals to work undetected. Consider a chain link fence instead.

Utilize the 3-foot/6-foot rule, a police officer with the Community Crime Prevention program in Minneapolis recommends. Trim tree branches up to 6 feet off the ground and trim your shrubs down to 3 feet. This creates a "window effect" into your yard and minimizes hiding places for burglars.

3. Add outdoor lighting

Make sure all potential entry points to your house are well-lit. These points include doors, windows on the main floor and basement windows.

Regular incandescent lights mounted on a wall or pole work well for many homeowners. Or install high-pressure sodium lights or mercury vapor lights. Both are energy efficient and illuminate a larger area than incandescent bulbs.

Other options include photoelectric lights that provide automatic lighting after dark, and motion detector lights that click on when their sensors detect nearby activity.

4. Insta80%ll solid doors

Check your exterior doors. Those made of solid metal or wood offer the most security. If you can push a straight pin into the door without much effort, the core is hollow. A skilled burglar could easily kick in this door. Replace it with a solid door. Also, consider replacing any door with a lot of glass on it.

5. Install deadbolt locks

Next, consider door locks. Deadbolt locks offer the greatest protection. They come in two types: A single-cylinder deadbolt operates with a key from the outside and a thumb turn from the inside. Double-cylinder deadbolts operate with keys from both sides. Deadbolts with double cylinders offer an advantage when there's glass in or near a door. If burglars break the glass to enter your home, they won't be able to turn the deadbolt with their hand to open the door.

6. Secure your windows

Window locks offer an inexpensive way to deter burglars. When installed on double-hung windows (those that slide up and down), these locks work only when the window is completely closed. With other types of windows, you can mount locks on the corners or sides. These locks add security when the windows are partially open. However, make sure family members can open the windows easily incase of an emergency.

Window pinning (inserting a pin or nail above a window so it can't be opened) or track fillers (such as a wooden pole placed into the track of the window) are the least expensive ways to secure double hung windows.

7. Consider a burglar alarm

If burglars go to a block and find three houses with alarm systems and three without, you can guess which homes they'll hit. Even a burglar alarm notification sign is often enough deterrence to force the burglar to the next victim.

Alarm systems can benefit homeowners who live in isolated areas or spend long periods away from home. People who keep many valuables at home or live in high-crime areas should also consider burglar alarms.

Even so, alarms are no cure-all. No alarm system can replace hard security in your windows and doors.

8. Burglar-proof your possessions

Consider engraving any valuable items with a personally assigned Operation ID number. Operation ID is a nationally sponsored program for identifying stolen property. Contact your local police department to sign up for a number.

You can also engrave your social security number or driver's license number on your property. Store these items away from windows and doors. But with the high rate of identity theft, using your SSN may not be such a good idea in these days and times.

When you buy expensive items -- such as computers, audio equipment or big-screen televisions -- don't leave their boxes on your curb. Break up the boxes and store them inside until your next garbage collection day.

9. Change your habits

Even locks and alarm systems are wasted when they go unused. Home security means adopting effective habits, as well as adding hardware to your home. For example:

Lock windows and doors every night. Before talking to a stranger who comes to your door, ask for identification. Supervise people who repair appliances or read meters in your home. When children answer the door, have them say, "My parents are busy," rather than "My parents aren't home." When you leave for vacation, make your home look occupied. Install timers on indoor lights. Instead of stopping your mail or paper service, ask a trusted neighbor to pick it up for you. Keep a car parked in the driveway. Arrange for someone to shovel snow or mow your yard. Close your blinds or curtains at night or when you're not home. This minimizes a criminal's opportunity to "shop around." Never put your home address on your luggage when you're traveling. This alerts people that your home may be empty. Put a business address instead.

10. Organize!

Form a block club with neighbors and agree to keep an eye on each other's property. Ask people to call 9-1-1 when they see suspicious activity or crimes in progress. Remember that block clubs are not just for people who own single-family dwellings. People in apartments, town home complexes and condominiums can also become eyes and ears for each other.