It’s not suprise that crime is increasing every single year based on FBI report shows, crime is on the rise. Crime occurs on the average of 20 times a minute with an estimated $1,000 loss for each occurrence. Burglary is a crime due to the carelessness of homeowners.Few people not really care about security until something happens to them or a neighbor.While burglars typically "target" a home when no one is home, if you surprise one in the act, your chances of being injured are too high to attempt to intervene. A sobering statistic shows many homeowners attempting to defend (themselves, family members, or their property) with a weapon end up having it turned on themselves.
So, what should to do ? here some tips that could be usefull
1. SECURITY SURVEY
Do a security survey of your property. The purpose is to identify all potential trouble spots and determine what steps can be implemented to improve the overall security of your property. In this effortv,You can organize a "block party" and have the police "sweep" your entire block.. A few words of caution are in order if you have some third party security company do a survey for you. Many of course will do a free survey to get their foot in your door and try and sell you their security devices.
2.THINK YOURSELF as A BURGLAR
In this tip, you, as homeowner should do at least twice or more a year is take a walk around and through your property with a close friend or neighbor who is not too familiar with your house. Start outside and ask yourself "how would I best break in? The purpose of not doing it alone is your pal may spot things you'll overlook. Return the favor and complete a survey for your friend.
Besides the obvious "lived-in" look, don't get into a habit of only doing certain things only when you're not home. Chances are good you can tell when your neighbor isn't home. Remember it's a burglar's job to know the same things. Most professional criminals can tell nobody's home at least four or five houses away.
3. USE EFFECTIVE BURGLAR DETERRENTS
You know,a dog is one of the best deterrents. Not because it's vicious, it need not even be seen, but it has to be heard. A dog with a menacing bark will scare away a lot of would-be burglars, not only because they don't know what kind of dog you have and what risk it would be to them if try tried to break in, but more likely because a noisy dog will create a disturbance and get attention - the last thing a burglar wants!
If you don't have a dog there's nothing stopping you from pretending. A Beware of Dog sign on your fence, a dog house in the back yard, even a loose dog chain or bowl can drive away a potential burglar.
4.SECURING DOORS
Illegal entry through the front door occurs more often than all other points of entry combined! All exterior doors should be of solid hard wood or steel reinforced. A good door does no good if the door frame is in bad shape or of inferior construction. Pay special attention to the door jams. Most, even in expensive homes are made out of cheap pine. It don't take much force to "kick in" the door even if protected with dead bolts, if the strike plate is attached with only a couple of 1/2 or 3/4 inch screws.
5.SECURING WINDOWS
Burglars break windows as a last resort - or by accident. The preferred method is cutting a access hole or slipping in a thin stiff wire and undoing the locking device. Most double hung windows have cheap locks which should be replaced by heavy duty sash locks or even keyed locks, if you can put up with the inconvenience. An old trick is installing a small eyebolt in either corner. If done correctly the window can't be opened, with the eyebolt in place from the outside. Of course you could screw the window shut by drilling a hole through the frame but it defeats the purpose of having a window, and presents a fire hazard. Not recommended.
The safest windows are glass block. Almost impossible to break through, they of course can't be opened and are not as pleasing to look at. A good choice for basements or areas at or near ground level.
Another good protection is installed roll-a-way electric security shutters, or decorative security grates. The main down side is they can prove to be a serious fire hazard and prevent your escape. Newer models install on tracks or can easily be pushed open from inside to lessen their danger in the event of fire and the thick smoke sure to accompany it.
6.HOUSEHOLD INVENTORY
The above steps can go a long way to protecting your home but no matter how secure your residence is, if a professional burglar has targeted your home and is determined to break in, the unthinkable may still happen. To aid law enforcement agencies and greatly assist in insurance claims you should maintain a detailed household inventory of all your valuables.
It makes sense to "mark" important items with some permanent identifying mark. There are a variety of simple tools you can rent that will engrave serial numbers, a driver's license number or some other unique marking into your valuables.
Remember most burglars "fence" stolen items in order to get cash, usually for illegal drugs. You'll greatly reduce the chances of someone walking off with your TV, VCR or other valuables if it has a conspicuous ID number that can't be removed, simply because it will greatly reduce its street value and make it too much work to get rid of, and of course it is a lot easier to trace and return the property to the rightful owner.
Edited from : by Wayne McGruff (http://www.howtoadvice.com/HomeSecurity)
