Most people think about ways to prevent another burglary, after having been victimized. Since, according to FBI crime statistics a burglary happens every 18.2 seconds, there are a lot of people that fall into that category. While the burglar is busy counting up the profit from a job that took roughly 10 minutes, the victim is left counting the cost of lost property and a lost sense of security. If you have been a victim, you know that horrible feeling. If not, you’ll want to do all you can to avoid knowing it personally.
The good news is that there are many simple and effective steps you can take to help prevent burglary.
Lock Your Doors and Windows
It may seem like a no brainer but most of us actually leave windows and doors unlocked quite frequently out of forgetfulness or being rushed. We may forget to close the garage door and the door that leads from the garage to the house, or forget that we opened a widow for fresh air. Even more common, we have a houseful of people leaving at various times and everyone thinks that someone else locked the door.
Secure the Front Door with a Video Doorbell
One of the most shocking burglary statistics is that the most often used point of entry for a burglar is the front door, at a whopping 34% of the time. Given this fact, securing and adding as much deterrence as possible to this area makes a lot of sense. One of the best solutions is to use a video doorbell so that you have a video recording of the potential burglar, and generate an alert all sent to your smart phone.
Check the Hardware
Locking your doors and windows is not enough if you have older, malfunctioning, or less than sturdy hardware. Consider changing from traditional lock and key for the front door to a smart lock, and beef up window locks.
Do Some Research
Check out local crime statistics and talk to local law enforcement agencies to find out more about the kinds of crimes in your area, as well as specifics about local burglaries. Who was the suspect? Did they live locally? How did they gain entrance? What time of day was the crime committed? Knowing these things can help you take specific security precautions.
Look Home
Burglars do not want to get caught so attempting to burglarize an occupied home is certainly less than ideal. Even though you can’t be home 24/7, you can sure make it look like you are. Use home automation to have lights and electronics go off and on as is the house is occupied.
Consider Professional Solutions
A professionally installed and monitored home security and home automation solution is a huge deterrence and provides peace of mind. Smart security can provide you valuable intel on what is going on around the property, and provide a way for you to control the solution remotely.
GuardMe is a premier provider of monitored home alarms and commercial security systems.