6 Tips for Burglar-Proofing Your Home

Consider the following loss control techniques to reduce your chances of suffering a home burglary.

1. Lots of light at night can keep the burglars away after the sun goes down. Exterior lights with a motion-sensing switch should be installed; timers on lights are also recommended.
2. Ask your neighbors to watch your home if you are away during the day. If you are on vacation, ask them to keep your front steps or driveway clear of newspapers and flyers.
3. Invest in a burglar alarm with a central monitoring station. Research indicates that homes without security systems are about three times more likely to be broken into than homes with security systems. If a burglar knows that a house has an alarm, they are more likely to avoid that home.
4. Property identification programs are another deterrent to burglary. Many of these programs involve stickers with your driver’s license number imprinted on them. These stickers are then placed (and become permanently imprinted) on all valuable personal property, such as stereos, televisions, and computers. This makes it more difficult for burglars to fence or pawn the property.
5. Safeguarding dwelling components such as doors and windows makes it more challenging for burglars to enter the home. Many home security experts recommend that all exterior doors be 1¾-inch-thick solid wood, metal, or composite. Strike plates on door jams are typically installed with half-inch screws; however, these should be replaced with 3-inch-long screws so that locked doors cannot be kicked in quickly. Doors should also have deadbolt locks, with at least a 1-inch throw and a reinforced strike plate with 3-inch screws.
6. Keep your garage door secure and locked even while you are home.