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In many cases of home burglaries, thieves enter the house through a door or window that was left
unlocked. The fact is, thieves are “lazy,” and many burglaries could be prevented by using simple
strategies to deter them from attempting to enter your home. Keep in mind that there’s more at
stake than your possessions – a significant number of violent crimes that occur in the home
are committed during household burglaries.
Following are some tips to follow to protect your home – and your family – from burglars.
• Lock all doors and windows when you leave the house and when you go to sleep. Lock your garage
door as well.
• Install a dead-bolt and/or a secondary locking system on doors that lead outside. Using a lock
that can only be operated from the inside is an extra security measure.
• Remember that patio doors with glass panels can be especially vulnerable. Consider installing
double-cylinder locks – the kind where you need a key to unlock both sides – so that a burglar can’t
enter your home simply by breaking the glass next to the lock. Also, insert a board in the bottom of
the door, to prevent the door from sliding.
• Be suspicious of anyone who asks to enter your home for any type of “maintenance” reason. There
are numerous cases of people impersonating electricians or gas line inspectors who turn out to
be dangerous. Always demand to see an official company ID.
• Install peepholes or even wide-angle viewers in your doors.
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• Fasten air conditioner units securely to the window sill or window frame; otherwise, burglars
can too easily remove the unit and enter your home through the window.
• Replace burned out light bulbs quickly. Thieves like homes with inadequate lighting. Consider
incorporating lighting into your landscaping or even installing floodlights to light the walls of your house.
• Keep trees and shrubs around doorways, windows and porches trimmed. The bushes that provide
privacy also give burglars a place to hide. Dense shrubs can even make for a makeshift ladder,
helping a thief into your home through a window.
• Get involved in a “neighborhood watch” group. Local police departments can provide you with
information on how to establish a watch group in
your neighborhood.
• Consider installing an alarm system.
While You’re Away:
• Use random access timers that
automatically change what time your
lights go on and off each night. Or use
a few inexpensive electronic timers –
careful not to set them so that all of the
lights go on and off together. Lighting
patterns that vary appear more natural.
• Ask a neighbor to park his or her car in your driveway.
• Keep expensive items out of view from the yard or the street.
• Make arrangements to have your mail
and newspapers picked up by a neighbor or “stopped” at the post office.
• Ask your next-door neighbors to call the police if they notice any suspicious
activity. And leave a phone number
where you can be reached in case of an
emergency.
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