In addition to having a monitored burglar alarm system here are some other helpful tips to help protect your home from burglary.
- Lock up your home, even if you go out only for a short time. Many burglars just walk in through an unlocked door or window.
- Put a lock on your side gate.
- Install motion sensor lighting around the exterior of the home especially on the side of the house.
- Get to know your neighbors and let them know to keep an eye on the house when you go on vacation.
- Keep Valuables out of sight from anyone at your door or anyone looking through your front windows. Don’t keep your purse or wallet on the entryway table.
- Join your neighborhood watch group.
- Be cautious of who you let in your home, keep in mind that anytime you let someone into your home you are giving them an opportunity to steal or scope out your valuables and make plans to come back another time to take your belongings that they’ve been eyeing.
- Don’t accept unsolicited help. Many thieves are con artists who put on a front, making themselves look like a plumber, painter, tree trimmer, etc. They will often come with another person. One may lure you outside to talk about the service they are offering while the other may run into your house and go through your belongings while you are kept distracted.
- Don’t keep precious jewelry in your master bedroom. The first place burglars go is the master bedroom and they will take the whole jewelry box. Keep the good stuff hidden in another room or get a safety deposit box.
- Keep trees and bushes neat and trimmed, especially on the side of the house.
- Close your garage door. Burglars also target garages and an open garage door is an invitation to a burglar. Don’t keep your garage door open for an extended period of time.
- Sign up for online crime mapping and alerts from your local police department. This is a great way to know what is happening in your neighborhood.
- Get a dog; most burglars avoid homes with noisy barking dogs.
- Put up signs, a “Beware of Dog and “Under Video Surveillance” signs are an inexpensive deterrent.
