Most burglars put a considerable amount of thought into picking each residential burglary target. In fact, many burglars drive or walk around neighborhoods just to scout houses. Most are looking for the biggest possible payoff with the least resistance or chance of getting caught. They want to avoid confrontation and want to avoid being seen.
Three High-Level Strategies to Avoid Becoming a Target of Burglary
Make Your Home a Difficult Target
The steps to make your home a more challenging target are easier than you might think. Get a home security system, set up cameras, install quality deadbolts, and set up motion sensor lighting around your home. Keep sheds, basement doors, and windows locked. Burglars hate dogs. If getting a dog isn’t in the cards, consider putting up some “beware of dog” signs and maybe even leave a large water bowl on the back porch.
Don’t Flaunt Wealth or Expensive Items
If you have a huge new television, consider keeping it in a back den and not somewhere that can be seen from the street. If you have an expensive car, keep it in the garage or at least keep a cover over it to avoid attention.
Don’t Make It Obvious When You’re Away
Get a neighbor to remove mail and packages from the front stoop. Set up timed lights that turn on and off through the evening. Leave at least one car in the driveway if possible. You may even want to hire a neighborhood kid to pull your garbage bins out to the street on collection day.
My Neighbor Got Burglarized, Now What?
No matter how safe your neighborhood is, anyone can get hit by burglars. If you hear that a neighbor has been recently burglarized, take that misfortune as a warning. Many burglars will hit a few houses in a neighborhood then move on to another area.
Protect your home, your valuables and your family by knowing what burglars are after. Many burglars use the same techniques and are generally looking for similar items that they can sell fast and turn into cash.
What Burglars Hope to Find
Burglars target the master bedroom where they look for cash, jewelry, electronics, guns and anything else that might be valuable. People often leave money and jewelry in plain sight and in the most obvious and common areas in the master bedroom. Consider clever ways to hide or conceal any cash or valuable jewelry you keep at home.
Do not leave valuables out in the open and try to keep them in places where a burglar may not look like a linen closet, coat closet, laundry room, a hollow book or kitchen cabinet. Lock up personal information, valuables, and guns in a safe.
Burglars look under the bed, in closets, in dresser drawers and medicine cabinets in your bathroom. Next burglars will hit up the kitchen and living room for electronics, credit cards, keys and personal information. If a burglar can get enough personal information they can then steal your identity and rob you of the most valuable thing you have, your name and credit information.
Prevent Intruders From Finding Your Valuables
Hiring a reputable security system is a great way to deter burglars. Just having a security system installed sends a message to potential burglars that you are protected. Contact Butler Durrell Security to learn more about residential surveillance cameras, home security systems, smart home features, and other strategies that can help take you off a potential burglar’s radar and make your home a more challenging target.
