Keep Your Home Safe

While it’s easy to feel helpless about preventing home burglaries, taking proactive steps can greatly reduce the risk of your home being targeted.

Burglars often seek out the easiest opportunities, so making your home less accessible is key to protecting your family and property.

Strengthen Your Home’s Security

• Always lock all doors, windows, and sliding glass doors before leaving the house.
  • Many burglars simply enter through unlocked doors.
• Keep your garage doors fully closed, even if you’re just stepping outside for a few minutes. An open garage is an invitation for theft.
• Use deadbolt locks with a one-inch throw for exterior doors.
  • Choose models with pick-resistant cylinders or guard plates for added security.
• For doors with glass panels, consider installing a double-cylinder deadbolt.
  • Store the interior key in a safe but accessible location in case of emergencies.
• Avoid placing a spare key under doormats, in mailboxes, or other obvious hiding spots.
  • Instead, give a spare key to a trusted neighbor or use a keyless entry system.
• Reset garage door opener codes from their factory defaults.

Create a Secure Environment

• Walk around your home and assess areas where a burglar might hide, such as overgrown shrubs near windows or secluded corners.
  • Trim trees and bushes to eliminate these hiding spots.
• Install fences that allow visibility, such as chain-link or wrought iron, to deter intruders.
• Position outdoor lights to cover entry points and use motion sensors to activate them.
  • Make sure the lights are difficult to tamper with.

Protect Valuables Inside Your Home

• Avoid keeping large amounts of cash or valuable jewelry at home.
  • If necessary, invest in a heavy, bolted-down floor safe for secure storage.
• Store valuables in unexpected places.
  • Avoid common spots like nightstand drawers or under mattresses, which burglars often search first.
• Document your valuables by taking pictures, recording serial numbers, and engraving items with your driver’s license number.
  • Store this information securely in a safety deposit box.

Enhance Visitor Safety

• Do not open the door unless you are certain of the visitor’s identity.
  • If someone asks for help and you feel unsafe, tell them through a locked door, “I’m calling the police for you now,” and contact 911.
• Avoid using chain locks on doors, as these can be easily broken.
• Teach children never to open the door to strangers and always to call a trusted adult if they are unsure.

Invest in Advanced Security Measures

• Install a monitored security system that alerts law enforcement if triggered.
  • Choose a reliable system to ensure neighbors take alarms seriously.
• Consider an exterior alarm speaker to alert neighbors during a break-in.
• Add secondary locks to windows to prevent them from being opened if the glass is broken.
  • Teach all family members how to remove these locks in emergencies.

Be a Good Neighbor

• Establish a neighborhood watch program or simply keep an eye on your surroundings.
  • Report suspicious activity to 911 immediately.
• Offer to keep an eye on a neighbor’s property when they are away and ask them to do the same for you.

What to Do in Case of a Break-In

• If you find signs of a burglary, such as an open or damaged door, do not enter your home.
  • Move to a safe location and call 911 immediately.
• If a break-in occurs while you are home, stay calm, move to a secure location, and contact law enforcement right away.

Taking these steps can make your home a less appealing target for burglars and give you peace of mind knowing you’ve done everything possible to protect your loved ones and belongings.