Here are some tips, gathered from various resources on the net (link list below) to help deter criminals. Seems to me the homes most vulnerable are those along Wayside, Idylwood and MacGregor, where it’s easy to do a grab and run. Homes toward the center of the block are less likely targets, but that all depends on the landscaping.
1. Pretend to be a burglar. I did this awhile back when I locked myself out of my house. I am glad I did this as it eased my fear. There’s no way to get in but to break a window and thus make some noise.
2. Remove valuables from view. Can you see any of your valuable property from outside the window? Can you see your jewelry box sitting on top of your bureau in your bedroom? Can you see that fancy new laptop and flatbed scanner from outside your office window? Can you see the stereo equipment and DVD player from the living room window?
3. Put up heavy draperies and keep them closed. A burglar will bypass a house where he’s not sure what’s inside in favor of one where all the goodies are in plain view (see Item 2 above).
4. Plant thorny shrubbery around large windows to deter thieves from lingering too long to open that picture window.
5. Keep your garage door closed and your car inside. That way, thieves have no idea whether you are home or not, and it’s one less way for them to gain access to your house and yard.
6. Make sure the door leading from the garage to the house (if it’s an attached garage) is just as sturdy as any outer doors. Thieves can drive into an open garage, close the door and start hammering away on the inner door undetected, making as much noise as they need to in order to gain access. And if you have a shoddy door there, it’s that much easier for them.
7. Have several layers of security: quality deadbolts, sturdy doors, burglar alarm, to deter thieves at every step of the way.
8. Install motion sensors in the “dead zones” in your yard, have them go off when people are standing in places they aren’t supposed to be. And make sure they are mounted high enough so that the thief cannot just jump up and disable them.
9. Get a dog. Doesn’t matter if he’s a large or small dog, dogs are territorial and most will bite a stranger. Thieves would rather avoid this unpleasantness if possible, along with all the attention the barking would cause.
10. Get a safe, and don’t just keep your jewelry and other valuables there. Make sure all your important papers are there too. Identity theft is on the rise and once a thief has access to your important documents, ID theft is the next logical step.
11. Etch your DL number and name on all valuables. Your laptop is of no value to a thief if he can’t sell it and no one wants to be fingered for possessing stolen property. If you don’t want to deface your property, make a home video instead, walking through each room of your house and identifying each piece of property. Label it something innocuous such as “Family Reunion” and put it in your safety deposit box. Make a copy to give to a relative or close friend.
12. Keep your hedges trimmed so that they cannot provide shelter to a busy thief.
13. There’s also a great TV program on the Discovery Channel at 8PM on Wednesdays, called “It Takes a Thief” … This program features ex-burglars, Jon and Matt, who demonstrate how easy it can be to break into a home. Worth a watch.
Sources
- No Nonsense Self-Defense — http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/homesecurity.html
- Easy Ways to Burglar-Proof Your Home — http://www.googobits.com/articles/2657-easy-ways-to-burglar-proof-your-home.html
- How to Burglar-Proof Your Home — http://www.ehow.com/how_1891_burglarproof-home.html
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