How can I prevent home burglary?

To best prevent burglary at your home, you should make your home unappealing to a burglar. The Burglary Prevention Council (BPC) suggests performing a security inspection on your home to determine how easy it would be for a burglar to get in. While completing this inspection be sure to check for the following:

• Consider installing a burglar alarm if your home does not already have one. Some insurance companies provide a 10 percent to 12 percent discount for a Central Monitored Alarm system to make a home safer.
• Trim any tall trees or hedges that can be easily climbed to gain access to a second story window
• Do not hide a spare key in an obvious location such as under a planter or doormat. Think about giving the spare key to a neighbor instead.
• Do you have outdoor lighting (street light, porch light)? Burglars are much more likely to break into a dark yard where they can easily hide.
• Make sure you have heavy doors and windows that are equipped with strong, functional locks.
• Rearrange your home furnishings so that your valuables are not easily seen through windows and doors.
• If currently using a door chain to screen visitors, consider using a peep hole that will prevent you from having to open the door to identify visitors.

Try practicing the following good habits for preventing break-ins:

1. Follow a routine to ensure that doors and windows are locked and security systems are activated at night.
2. Notify the police if you see suspicious activity/persons in your neighborhood.
3. Do not carry your house key with a key ring, or in a wallet that bears your address.