How To Forestall Burglaries
There are about three million
burglaries in America every year. Over an eighty-year lifespan, that's
240 million burglaries-- well over two for every residence! Disturbingly,
thirteen percent happen while someone is actually at home. Homes have
many doors and windows, all of which are potential entry points.
Fully securing a house can be quite a challenge. But
here's some good news: many home-insurance companies
will give you discounts for taking some wise precautions.
Here's how to prevent or at least minimize burglaries:
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How To Forestall Burglaries 
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Time to complete:
| 1-2 hours to buy and install security devices |
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Money you'll spend:
| Varies |
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What you'll get:
| Better home security |
Anti-theft tips:
- Secure your windows, especially on ground floors. Lock your windows
as securely as you lock your door.
Keep in mind that it's easy for a burglar to smash a hole in a window and
reach in to undo a weak lock. Dead-bolt locks are best: make sure
they are impossible to see from outside, and place them where a burglar
wouldn't expect to find them by feeling around. Also, burglars hate
storm windows because they have to make a lot of noise to break through
them. You can place braces against
all doors and sliding windows. Do this by cutting wooden poles
to a length that braces the door or window against any flat surface.
- Beware of acquaintances who are of dubious morality. Many times,
a burglary will happen because the burglar has actually been invited into
the victim's home, which allows the burglar to "case the joint."
Limit party invitations to people you and your family members know
well. Never tell people when you'll be away from home.
- Secure the garage door with some type of brace or
lock. Most garage doors can be forced open fairly easily.
- Thieves look for cash, jewelry, weapons and
pharmaceuticals. Make sure you hide these valuables extremely well.
The attic or kitchen are good places.
- Sadly, none of the above precautions are certain to stop a
professional burglar if he's confident nobody's home. To be fully
secure you must buy an alarm system, and post a sign outside your door that
warns burglars that your house is protected. The alarm system must
alert someone to the burglary: either it's loud enough to alert your
neighbors, or even better it alerts a professional security monitoring
service. Call your insurance company to find out what they recommend.
- If you don't want to
spend much money, buy a "security system installed" sign at a local
hardware store to make thieves think you have a security system.
That will make most burglars think twice. You should also buy a
motion-detection device that turns on the outside lights when it senses
someone is approaching. This will persuade most
burglars that the sign warning of an alarm system is for real.-->
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Further Reading:
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An article appropriately titled 
