Tips To Preventing a Home Break-In

It’s frightening to think of the possibility of returning home in the evening to find that your home had been burglarized. This is especially scary to think that this does happen when it is still daylight outside and your neighbors are home. The fact is that this is happening more frequently than ever before all throughout the United States. Burglars are even using crowbars to pry open doors in order to gain entrance to your home. Your local police department is always willing to give you tips on how to make your home/neighborhood more secure. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Make sure you know all of your neighbors. Compile a list of phone numbers and other important information for everyone on your street and distribute it to all neighbors. Starting a neighborhood watch is a good idea. Learn what cars belong to each particular house. Walk your street regularly and jot down license plate numbers of strange vehicles that you encounter. Be certain to note the day and time the vehicle was parked on your street. Watch out for your neighbors and contact them if you see someone/something that doesn’t look right.

Do not leave mail in your mailbox to be picked up later. Drop it off at the post office or hand it to your carrier. Place a hold on your mail/newspapers while you are out of town or on vacation. Set timers so that lights will come on inside the house while you are away making it appear that someone is home. Consider installing a monitored security system in your home.

It’s best not to answer your door if you are not expecting someone. If you do open the door, do not discuss private information to anyone selling something or asking personal questions. Ask them to leave their card/contact information on your porch, and do not open the door until long after they have gone. Never let any unexpected stranger into your home. Check out our “Know the Facts & Protect Yourself From Home Security Scams” page.

If we all take the time to watch out for one another, we can help the police protect our neighborhoods while also giving each of us a more safe/secure feeling.