How to Prevent A Home Robbery
About one home robbery happens every 18 seconds in the United States. This is a staggering number, and it’s aided by the plenty of misconceptions surrounding home robbery. In this article, we’ll look at when home invasions are most likely to occur, and what measures you can take to best protect your house from being a target.
When do most burglaries happen?
It may come as a surprise that most home burglaries actually occur between 10:00am and 3:00pm. This is because most people are out of their homes, either at work, running errands, or out enjoying the day. Most burglars would rather not take the risk of running into a resident, therefore, they take advantage of these daylight hours.
For the same reasons, July and August are the months with the highest level of break-ins. A lot of people will be out of their homes and many will be on vacation. Summer weather also means more windows and doors will be opened to release heat.
Even if you’re just grabbing groceries, this is plenty of time for a robber to slide in through an open window and out through your back door. The typical break-in lasts only 90 seconds to 12 minutes.
How do most burglars get in?
As the last paragraph hinted, many home invaders come in through an unlocked door or window. About 30% of all break-ins, in fact. Simply locking windows and doors whenever you leave their sight will go a long way in preventing snoopers from becoming invaders.
Roughly 34% of break-ins happen at the front door. Combine this number with the fact that most robberies happen during daylight hours. Many burglars dress inconspicuously, either in casual clothes or as workmen, and just walk up to the front door to test if it’s unlocked. If it is and they don’t sense activity, the second attempt is to kick it in. Putting a good deadbolt and strike plate on your door basically stops this tactic, plus it increases their doubt that your house is such an easy target after all. Remembering to lock the deadbolt, however, is important.
About 22% of break-ins happen at a side door, following the same routine. Again, simple door reinforcements can nullify this approach. If there’s a sliding door, placing a wooden dowel in the tracks is a simple security add on.
About 23% of break-ins are through first story windows, usually ones that are open or unlocked. Window latches are not locks, and can be popped open with minimal effort, so be sure to invest in
Most burglars use simple tools to get in, like screwdrivers, small hammers, and pry bars.
What makes a house a home invasion target?
Most home robbers live within 2 miles of a target house, and many even know the resident to some degree. Only a scant 15% of home invasions come from professional robbers, meaning the vast majority are looking for easy targets. They might just be checking out the neighborhood and notice some obvious signs that you’re not present, and take the next ten minutes to break in.
Some obvious signs that no one’s home include no cars around, no lights on, piled up mail, and an unmowed lawn. If you’ll be gone for the day, a simple trick is to close the blinds and leave a radio or TV on. If a burglar suspects someone is in there, they are far less likely to stick around. If you plan on being gone for an extended time, ask a family friend to take care of the mail and lawn for you. You can also ask your local post office to hold your mail for you while you are out of town.
Houses are also more appealing when a burglar can be well-hidden in their approach, and have an easy escape afterwards. If there’s plenty of cover from plants or a back alley to your back door, you might want to consider installing lighting with a motion detector. Having strong lights at all your entrances is a good deterrent, as they fear they might be seen.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that homes with obvious signs of home security are 300% less likely to be broken into. Fake lawn signs aren’t enough. A would-be robber will often check a window to see if there’s an alarm, and checks entries to see if there’s a security camera. Having one there is the biggest way to dissuade them for good.
10 Tips to Prevent a Home Robbery
Lock Doors and Windows
Most robbers will check out a home before breaking in, walking up to first floor windows and doors to see how they’re built. Make sure they’re closed and locked when you’re away. This prevents many burglaries, because they want something easy.
Make the Door More Secure
Reinforce your doors with a deadbolt and strike plate, or go for an electronic door lock. This last option guarantees your door bolts behind you whether you’re inside or out, and prevents losing your key from possibly turning into a burglary. Definitely reinforce your first floor windows with window locks to stop burglars from easily popping them open.
Add security cameras and lighting fixtures to your doors
Add alarms to your windows and doors
If burglars see the alarm they’ll likely back off. If they don’t see it, burglars are also likely to turn around when loud sounds go off before they’ve even entered. Alarms that detail what door or window has been opened are even better at scaring them off. However, you don’t need to rely on traditional alarm systems when you have better alternatives to ADT such as Deep Sentinel.
Look Out for Door Knockers
People might come to your door and ask random questions, or maybe telemarketers will try to market you something. Many times this is a guise for thieves trying to check your house.
Lighting Matters
Remember, if they want to break in at night, burglars will be on the lookout for dark spots to avoid being see. If your house is well lit, it automatically ceases to be a good target.
Do not leave things out on the yard
If you have a brand new grill, or other fancy equipment, and you leave it on the yard, it may signal the burglars that there are fancier things inside your house.
Put up curtains
Because you do not want people to be able to see what you have inside your house. This way burglars can see your expensive possessions and make your house a target.
Make Arrangements for Mail
When you are away, make sure that your mail is not left unattended. Piled up mail instantly tells the burglars that no one is home, make sure you either stop the mail or tell your neighbours to pick it up.
Get a Dog
If you are really worried, and it seems like your house is a target, keep an in door dog. Not only will they provide good protection, they will also fill your house with fun!
Wrap Up
A home robbery can happen to anyone, but there are very easy measures that’ll decrease your odds of being picked. The same applies to securing your business, with slightly different measures, and picking the right security system for your business. We hope this article can save you some trouble!