Burglar Shmurglar

It is a beautiful place. We live in southern California and yes, we have some of the best weather in the united states. We aren’t too humid, we get hot but not unbearable for the most part, we don’t get too cold. Everyone knows there are a lot of benefits. What are some of the downfalls though? We are in a draught. We have traffic and smog. Where there are a lot of people, there is usually a lot of crime. What crime most affects real estate? Burglary I would say. We have to find a way, without just conventional alarms ,to deter burglars. I thought I would research and share some helpful methods. Here are some of the ways I came up with in that specific research.

You should always avoid mentioning your travel plans online. Whether it’€™s your children talking about an upcoming vacation or whether it’€™s you talking to a friend in the post office about an upcoming business trip, mentioning travel on or in public forums is dangerous. In these types of situations anyone could overhear the fact that the home is going to stand empty for a few days and this is an invitation to prospective thieves to target your home. One of the most difficult things for children to understand is that when they mention outings innocently on their social networking pages, they are inviting the entire world in to burglarize their home while they are out. Social media, unfortunately, doesn’t exclude us to a small circle of people we can trust.

Dog ownership has long been a cited method of maintaining a safe home and deterring against burglars. When given a chance to burglarize a home at random, burglars are much more likely to target a home that does not have a dog rather than a home that does have a dog. Large dogs are intimidating because of their appearance and pitch of their bark, but even a small dog can be effective in warding off intruders. It should be noted that while having a dog in the home is an additional measure to guarding against burglary, it should never be the sole reason for owning a dog. Dogs require upkeep and companionship so unless a family is prepared to take on a long term responsibility which involves bringing another family member in to the home, this should not be considered as a method of deterring burglars.

It isn’t a method of deterring, but insurance can help if tragedy does strike. I felt that this was important to mention because it drives home the fact that material possessions can be replaced. Homeowners and home renters should always carry a degree of insurance to help to protect them against any losses that may occur as the result of a disaster or theft. Most companies that provide this type of insurance prompt their customers to always keep a note of personal property that they consider to be valuable. This practice ensures that if your home does become the target of a thief and any valuable property is lost that it can be identified by police if found and the homeowner can be compensated under their insurance policy. While keeping a note of valuable personal property is not a deterrent method for burglars, it is a step that homeowners should take in order to protect themselves should a burglary occur.

Having a well lit property is important. I take this one to the same degree as parking my car under a light when I have a chance at night. If it is easier to see someone, then it is easier to see them if they’re up to no good. By the nature of burglary, light is counterintuitive. Burglars do not work in well lit areas because the chance of being caught is much higher than working in the dark. Making sure that outdoor lighting is always functioning well is a key aspect of maintaining a safe property, Having a well lit front porch means nothing if the back side of a house is not lit at all, perform a full audit tonight to determine the areas of your property that need lit.

Your mail and newspaper can tell someone looking for targets that you’re not home. The presence of mail or newspaper buildup is a huge tipoff to burglars. Place a hold on mail delivery or have a trusted neighbor collect mail if you are going to be away for an extended period. Keep in mind that burglary is not the only concern when it comes to mail. All of those credit card offers and other secure information can be used for identity theft in the wrong hands. Consider a locked mailbox to prevent identity theft. Also, utilize neighborhood watch when you can. This helps neighbors monitor your home when you’re gone. A successful neighborhood watch is one that involves an entire community of vigilant neighbors who work together to enforce a safe community for each of its members. While it is rarely something that individuals take in to account when moving in to a new home or neighborhood, this type of cooperation is a key factor in discouraging criminal activity of all sorts.

Don’t skip sliding doors or windows. Sliding doors are a particularly easy way for home invaders to get access to your home because they are rarely fitted with secure locks or other security mechanisms. One affordable means of securing a sliding French door is to place a curtain rod in the sliding track to prevent the door from being slid open at any point. While many home security stores sell more advanced products, most people find that this simple and affordable technique works just as well. Windows are equally important because once doors are checked for vulnerability, windows will be next.

Timing devices may seem like a rather old method for deterring burglars, but it is a method that has proven successful ‘€“ so successful in fact that it is a tool that has been built upon as time has progressed. Timing devices are a great tool to implement in the home whether or not the homeowner is on vacation because they switch on lighting or technology within the home even when no one is home. One of the best methods for implementing timing devices is to plug them in and program them for normal times of activity when the family is out of town. By setting timers to turn on lights, turn down blinds, and to turn on radios or televisions is a way to give the impression that the normal daily routine is in progress even when no one is home and this itself is enough to turn potential burglars away. Timers also serve to make a safer home for those living alone or living with spouses who are frequently out of town or not at home during specific hours. Coming home to a dark house is not only scary but it can also be particularly dangerous specifically for women living alone, setting up timing devices allows for a safer atmosphere when returning home at dusk or dark.

When possible, we should use the garage for its intended purpose. Burglars often observe properties that they are planning on burglarizing to try to establish a pattern of when the home is active and when it is empty. For homes that have garages, one of the most important things that a homeowner can do is to always keep the car inside the garage. When homeowners do not utilize garage space, they leave their car out in the open where it can be observed by passersby which means that it is particularly easy for burglars to observe when there is and is not someone home. I hope this helps and I realize that every method can not be used, but if you make the right combination of deterring methods, you are far less likely to be a target.