Quick Tips to Improve Your Home Security.

Did you know that over 3,370 home burglaries occur in the U.S. every day? Despite the increased availability and presence of home security cameras, there has been a noticeable increase in home break-ins over the last couple of years. Many homeowners underestimate the possibility of their home being burglarized and therefore have not taken adequate measures to protect their homes.

So what can you do to protect your home against the threat of burglary or break in?

Start, join, or participle in a Neighborhood Watch Group. It is amazing what a grassroots Neighborhood Watch program can accomplish. Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice, released the following statement: “Nearly all studies found that neighborhood watch areas were associated with lower levels of crime.” Take a walk around your neighborhood: not only will you be getting exercise and fresh air, but you will also be acting as a deterrent to crime as well as a watchful eye – just don’t forget to take your cell phone with you in case you see anything unusual or suspicious.

Make sure you have deadbolt locks on all exterior doors leading into your home. Be sure there is adequate lighting around all exterior doors: well-lit entrances serve as a simple yet effective deterrent to break ins. Motion sensor spotlights around your property are also a good investment, as anyone who approaches your home at night will be illuminated.

Get a dog. Studies have shown that homes with dogs are far less likely to be broken into than homes that do not have a dog. The bigger and louder the dog, the better. The last thing most perpetrators want to do is to break into a home that has a loud barking dog.

Put NRA or other types of firearms-related stickers on all exterior doors so that they are visible to anyone who comes to the door. You don’t have to be a gun advocate or own a gun to do this – the idea is just to make anyone who thinks about entering your home believe you are a gun owner. Perpetrators are not going to want to break into a home if they think they may be confronted by someone with a gun. RTSP is a popular franchise gun store/range that offers free stickers on their front counter – all you have to do is walk into any location and grab a few free stickers for your windows and doors.

Keep a car visibly parked in your driveway during the day and at night. If a perpetrator thinks someone is home, they are much less likely to attempt a break in.

Install motion sensor camera doorbells on all exterior doors and be sure they are able to record all activity. If a perpetrator believes he may be being recorded, he will think twice before breaking into a home.

Install a central station monitoring security system in your home. The price for these types of systems has decreased dramatically over the years due to cost-saving advancements in technology.

Interesting statistics regarding home invasions:
• Only 12% of home invasions are planned in advance.
• House break-ins, on average, last less than 10 minutes.
• As many as 88% of burglars engage in robbery to support their ongoing drug habit – keep this in mind if you engage in any type of confrontation with a burglar in your home.
• Only 17% of US homes have a security system – burglars are three times more likely to target homes that don’t use a security system. Be sure to set the security system every time you leave your home unattended.
• The vast majority (85%) of home invasions are not conducted by professional burglars. This means that most intruders who break into a home will run for the door as soon as they realize that they have been detected by someone who is home.
• Almost two thirds of burglaries happen during daylight hours – keep all windows and doors locked when you leave the house during the day.
• Summer is the most common season for burglaries to take place.
• Over one third of burglars enter a property through the front door.
• Almost half of all burglars say they would bypass a home if they heard a noise coming from inside. Leave a light and radio on during the night and when you are away to create the illusion that someone is home.