My House Or Yours ?
Having your family and your home secure is an
absolute necessity in this day and age. Here are
some simple steps to help you secure your precious
property.
Burglary Statistics
Each year in the U.S, there are more than five million home
burglaries. Nine out of ten of these crimes are preventable.
The risk of being burglarized can be greatly reduced by
taking
simple steps to make your home more difficult to enter and
less
enticing to would-be burglars. Burglars break into a house,
apartment or condominium every 11 seconds. It is estimated
that
there are over 2,000,000 burglaries nationwide. 60% of
residential burglaries occurred during the daylight hours.
Losses experienced by burglary victims estimated at $3.1
billion
annually and an average loss per residential burglary was
$1,350
with July being the month with the greatest number of
burglaries.
The highest volume of burglaries occurred in the Southern
United
States. Knowing how a burglar chooses his victims can make
you
less vulnerable.
How A Burglar Chooses A Target
Burglary is mostly a crime of opportunity that capitalizes
on the
carelessness and neglect of the homeowner or renter.
Burglars
often try to find out if anyone's home by phoning. If you
get
several suspicious "wrong number" calls or "nobody at the
other end" calls, tell the police. Warn family members,
especially children, not to give out information by phone,
especially about who is home, who is out and how long anyone
is
expected to be out. Make it harder for burglars to "case"
your
home by phone by avoiding names on mailboxes or on doors.
Your
name on display only makes it easier for the burglar to look
your
number in the directory. Keep a dog at your house if you
can.
Your dog need not be big or ferocious. If the dog makes
noise
(and most dogs will) that's enough to cause a burglar to
look
for easier and quieter pickings. Making it hard for a
burglar to
gain entry and increase the chances that he will be caught.
Make
it hard for the burglar to remove valuable items. If the
house is
within three blocks of a major thoroughfare it is considered
an
easy target. If the house is on a cul-de-sac, adjacent to a
wooded area, abandoned railroad tracks or park it becomes a
target. Houses that are relatively more expensive than
others in
the neighborhood are inviting targets to burglars. If the
occupants of the house are newcomers to the neighborhood
(within
the past year), the house may be a prime target for
burglary.
Even if your house is a prime target by standards you can
still
help prevent a burglary.
How To Prevent Burglary
The real truth is that nothing can make your home completely
burglar proof. But you are certainly not completely helpless
to
make your home dramatically less vulnerable to a burglar by
following a few simple suggestions. When you leave your home
even for a short period of time, lock your doors and
windows. It
is surprising how many people do not use even the most basic
burglary prevention tools like locks on doors and windows.
Inspect your door locks for the level of security they
provide.
"Double key" deadbolt door locks offer greater security
because
you need to use a key to open the lock from the outside and
the
inside of the door. If a burglar enters your home through a
door
or window he can leave your home simply by turning a door
knob or
handle on the inside of a door unless the door is secured
with a
"double key" door lock. In that case the burglar must use a
key or break the lock. If you want to be able to quickly
leave
your residence in the event of an emergency, leave a key in
the
inside "double key" deadbolt lock while you are inside your
home, but be certain to remove the key when you leave your
home.
The length of the "throw" on a deadbolt door lock is
critical.
The "throw" is the metal bar that extends from the door lock
into the doorjamb. The longer the "throw" the more difficult
it is for a burglar to break the deadbolt door lock without
shattering the doorjamb. Louvered window panes are easiest
for a
burglar to defeat. Louvered panes can be easily removed by
removing the clips that hold them in place. Reality is that
sometimes even the most intense efforts fail to keep
burglars out
of you home.
What To Do If You're The Victim Of A Burglary
If you return home and unexpectedly find a door or window
open
and realize you have been burglarized, do not enter the
residence; instead, immediately call the police. While you
wait
for the police, do not touch anything, do not sneeze or
cough on
top of any potential evidence, do not walk in any area that
may
contain evidence, and do not attempt to clean up any mess
because
you may compromise important evidence. When the police
arrive,
point out anything out of the ordinary. It may be a drinking
glass out of place, a cigarette butt, a discarded garment, a
drop
of blood, a mask, a glove, or any item that does not belong
in
your residence or that you do not recognize which may help
convict your burglar!
Article Author - Johnnie A Jenkins
Johnny A. Jenkins urges you to visit
Repeller Technology for a unique line of affordable home
protection devices. Take the simplicity out of strangers
entering your home uninvited and making off with your
valuables. You will not find these devices in your local
department store.
http://www.repellertechnology.com
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