Buglary Prevention - 5 Best Ways to Secure Your Home

Burglary is one the rise. Almost three-fourths of all crime today is property crime, involving theft, burglary, and vandalism. And much of that is crime against homes and homeowners. Local authorities and police have their jobs cut out for them. Though they work hard to end crime in your area, it can't really be stopped.

No matter what, burglars and vandals will find a way to succeed at their job: taking or destroying your possessions. When they're not on someone else's property, they're looking for opportunities, studying home layouts and vulnerabilities, and noting family habits and schedules. In fact, statistics tell us that a U.S. home gets robbed every 15 seconds! And while some burglars and vandals do eventually get caught and arrested, most of them seem to disappear into the shadows.

You can take precautions to avoid becoming the next 15-second victim. A combination of common-sense security measures and equipment can protect your home and family from crime. Here are some ideas that may help you take a bite out of crime.

* Mark your Property

Everything of value that you own should be protected with a number or symbol that makes it easy to identify as yours. While marking property can't prevent its theft, it can help you retrieve stolen property before it's sold on the black market. Engravers, micro dots, laser and UV pens are great tools to use to mark your property. Most burglars do study their target victims, and knowing you mark your property may prevent burglary.

* Secure your House

It may sound funny, but many homeowners forget to lock doors and windows. An easy, simple solution to prevent burglary, make it a habit to secure your windows and doors before you leave the house. Make sure the exterior of the house is well-lit and free of obstructions and places for burglars and vandals to hide. Let people know when you'll be gone for several days, and ask your neighbors to keep a sharp eye out for strangers on your property. These simple steps will go a long way to protect your property and prevent burglary and vandalism.

* Get a Burglar Alarm

A simple alarm that sounds when an unauthorized person tries to enter your house is a good first step in preventing burglary and vandalism. The piercing scream of an alarm is enough to discourage even the boldest burglar or vandal. Police report that burglar alarms prevent over half of all attempted home burglaries. A variety of alarms are available on the market, and prices start low.

* Install a Home Security System

A great tool to prevent burglary is the home security system. A burglar who knows you have a security system will likely skip your house next time he goes out for a quick break-in. If he isn't aware of your system, the alarm will sound and hopefully frighten him away. Home security systems include burglar alarms, but they also have a number of other features to protect your life and property. They may incorporate fire alarms, carbon monoxide monitors, and "panic buttons" that allow you to sound an alert in case of an emergency. They can alert your local police or emergency service directly or go through a 24-hour security monitoring service.

More elaborate and expensive systems incorporate cameras and video monitoring equipment that allows to you keep round-the-clock watch on your family and home. A video monitoring system also allows you to record visual images, and this can be very effective in post-burglary law enforcement efforts. You have a record of the burglar or vandal that police can use to track them down and arrest them. You also have evidence that can be used in court to prosecute them.

Home security systems have made great leaps in technology over the past decade, and today you can even get systems that allow you to program and control other home functions. You can tie in your lights, heating system, home entertainment center, and kitchen appliances to not only make your live more convenient and save time but to make it appear that your house is occupied when your family is out of town.

Wireless technology has entered the home security market, and you can get wireless monitored home security systems that have all the benefits of older types AND the ease-of-installation and maintenance of wireless technology.

With a good home security system, you can go beyond simple protection measures and continuously monitor your yard, your garage, and the interior of your home. You can make permanent video records of attempted and successful break-ins. You can even turn your coffee pot on in the morning!

* Use a Professional Security Monitoring Service

Even if you have the top-of-the-line home security system with all of the bells and whistles, it won't be any good at preventing burglary if you can't monitor it 24 hours a day. Professional security companies like ADT or Brinks offer that service for a reasonable
monthly fee. They have professional monitors attending to your system all day, seven days a week, and they can alert law enforcement and emergency services when your system sounds the alert.


No matter what you decide to do to protect your home and family, you should be sure to cover these basic areas. Millions of U.S. homeowners have invested or plan to invest in security and surveillance systems. You should be one of them if you want to fight crime and prevent burglary.

You get the added bonus of peace of mind knowing your home and family are safe and secure from the crime rampant in our society today. No one can predict the future, but it's certain that you will be a safer, saner homeowner if you take the time to learn all you can about home security. As an educated consumer, you can assess your home's vulnerabilities and plan for a security system that will prevent burglaries and meet your security needs.