How to Secure Home from Burglary?

Question

There have been a few odd and scary occurances lately that leave me to believe that my home is potentially being staked for a burglary. Do you have any other suggestions of things I can do to help secure my home and family other than the obvious locking of doors and guns?

Answer 1

Yes.

Inform your neighbors of your concerns. Unfortunately, sometimes neighbors have teens that know your schedue, have buddies as lookouts and know your pattern and schedule.

If you work outside the home, ask your employer for varied lunch hours and work hours for a short term time if possible.

Ask a friend that has an alarm company monitoring their home, to get a few extra stickers from their company for your windows (a legitimate company is more believable than phony stickers)

Call your local police and ask them to schedule drive bys by the different police shifts. They are usually happy to assist and this sends a HUGE message to intruders that you are aware of them and that the police are too. In fact, intruders often conclude that you might even know their identity already and this can really scare them off.

DOG IN A CAN--if you don't have a dog of your own, get a "dog in a can" system (about $25) that will go off by motion detection. These are now greatly improved and sound realistic. Additionally, it will arouse neighbors to the fact that something outside is amiss and needs to be checked out.

Install real OR phony (lest costly) video cameras outside on the eaves of your home. Potential burglers will not know whether or not your home is being monitored and recording their face for a future courtroom date.

Dead bolts on every door, a security system if possible along with breakage alarms. Most homes only need 2 or 3 of these now due to increased technology that allows them to work for the whole house.

And of course, light timers. You can even get timers for your switch plate lights at Home Depot. Make sure you put one on the TV as well.

Clean out the garage if you have one and use it! Don't let a potential theif know whether or not you are home.

Ask a neighbor that has an extra car, to start parking in your driveway in the spot closest to your front door.

Tell your mailman to keep a watch out too.

FINALLY, a friend of ours who is a cop told us that this is what ALWAYS does in his house: He puts a glass of water or cup of coffee along with a ten dollar bill on tables near entry points of his home--front door, back door, kitchen sink if near the garage etc.

The FIRST thing he ever does when he or his family enters the home is to check and see if that money is still there. If not, leave the house immediately! He said a burgler will never leave a free $10 or $20 in a house. Leaving it by a cup indicates that it was absentmindedly set down and won't be missed and that it wasn't planted.

Answer 2

Hope you mean locking the guns up! Because they ain't going to shoot by themselves, and any burglar with sense enough to stake you out will wait for you to leave.
Don't keep much money in the house. Don't leave stereos, etc., visible in the window - a smash & grab breakin artist will be gone before the police can get there.
You don't say what the occurences are - call the police dispatcher (not 911) and ask an officer to come talk with you. Tell him what you've seen, get his advice. Show him your back yard, front yard, porch, lighting system, ask how you could improve safety.
Get an alarm system - most insurance companies will discount your premium a little bit if you've got that.
DO NOT COME HOME LATE ALONE - ESPECIALLY DO NOT COME HOME DRUNK!

Answer 3

This is a serious subject but what you should be asking yourself is "Am I just hearing things". Sometime your mind does play some tricks on you. Don't go getting a gun because most people end up getting shot by their own gun one way or another. I would say get an alarm system with a panic button placed at several places around the house. That way you can hit the button in a New York minute and get some quick help.

Answer 4

Know your neighbours, Be friends with them you look out for them, they look out for you. Get an alarm system, someone breaks in it will scare them. Secure your doors, have proper locks and keep all expensive possesions in a safe location. I dont know how your windows are but...take a stick thing that will fit behind a window (the part where it slides back when you wanna open it) and put the stick there, so if someone trys to open the window they cant. Same thing for a sliding door.

Answer 5

Get a home security system installed and also an outside like that comes on automatically when someone is near it is a good idea too.

Answer 6

An alarm system is a good thing to have. It keeps them from wanting to take a chance on your house when there are others without an alarm. ADT usually has alot of specials on installs. good luck

Answer 7

I've always loved big dogs & always have at least one. They are great company, no one gets near without me knowing, & they are loyal enough to protect me with their lives. Call them land-sharks, four-legged burglar alarms or whatever, my dogs are always near me.

Answer 8

Lites with motion sensors, and a really big dog!!