The Tri-County Area is a very safe place to live. Low crime and minimal violence are the norm. However, we find ourselves again in a cycle of theft that plagues our area. According to police reports, most of the theft is to steal items that can be sold to satisfy the thief’s drug habit.
I have heard several stories in the past month of homes being burglarized during the day while they were away at work. Crime statistics state that over 60% of residential theft occurs between the hours of 9am and 3pm.
Seems these low life types think while we are out working for a living, doing it right, that it would be a good time for them to come in and steal what we have worked so hard for.
I digress.
A home break in occurs about every 15 seconds in the US and can cost on average about $1600 in loss and damages, sometime much more. Only about 13% of the break ins are ever solved and much less of a percentage of the property lost is ever recovered.
Here are some tips that I have compiled from various internet sources that I feel make good sense. If you take the ones that make sense to you and apply them to your home, maybe we can deter the criminal element from visiting our homes.
First and foremost keep windows and doors locked. Install deadbolts if you don’t already have them.
Get together with the neighbors. Share information and keep each other informed about things going on around the block. Join or start a neighborhood watch.
Turn on a light in the home if you are leaving during a time when it will be dark outside.
A radio left on during the day could fool a burglar into thinking someone is home.
Install exterior lighting on the house to illuminate the property. Use motion activated lights for an added level of surprise to would be thieves.
Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed back so as not to obscure view to the house that could give thieves a place to hide while they try to gain entry to a window.
If you have an exterior remote garage door opener control on your house, change the code periodically to prevent signs of wear that can indicate to a burglar what buttons are used the most allowing him a better chance at guessing your pass-code.
Install an electronic home security system. A monitored system is best but one with a loud alarm that the neighbors can hear is better than nothing. Don’t forget to put the security system stickers on the doors and windows to let crooks know that you are protected.
When putting boxes out for the trash, break down the boxes of the high value items. Don’t advertise that you just bought a new high dollar item like a new smart TV or a new computer.
Store lock boxes and safes in hidden areas of the house or at least out of sight. The master bedroom is a prime target of thieves, it might be best to keep money and valuables out of the master bedroom.
Last and maybe one of the most important items, don’t discuss vacation plans in public and especially don’t put your plans on Social Media like Facebook. You never know who might be paying attention.
Implement some of these ideas and maybe it will help prevent an unwanted visit from one of these area criminals.
I can’t help myself but mention the following. Don’t forget to review your insurance coverage. Is it adequate for your situation? Are any specialty items like jewelry, stock certificates or firearms covered adequately? If you are not a home owner, do you have a renter’s insurance policy in place to protect your personal property and liability.
Call us and we can help you figure out what coverage you need to protect you and your family. 937-962-2123
In future posts we will discuss these similar topics.
Various types of security systems.
Compare various types of safes used at home.
Protect your ID.
Inventory your home
