When a thief decides your home is the right place for his night of work, it could be a spur-of-the-moment decision or a carefully designed plan. When you set up a home security plan, you ideally want to discourage both sorts of burglaries. There are several things you can do to make burglars look at your house and say, “pass.” Here are five ways to make it happen.
1. For the hack thief, make it obvious. Post the signs that say “home security company at work.” For beginners, it will be enough warning for them to move on and try to avoid getting caught somewhere else. As we all know, an amateur is an insecure tactician, one who is not willing to do battle in the field with something as intricate as a home alarm system.
2. For the bona fide burglar, reinforce the obvious with the subtle. There are crafty burglars out there who know about the trend in home security “poseurs.” Such a poseur would be a homeowner who has not installed a home security system but is advertising like he has. The best burglars on the job will look for symbols of a good system: tiny video cameras, well-placed motion-detecting lights and some thorny bushes near windows make a strong impression. Subtlety like this tells a trained thief that he is dealing with an educated homeowner. Why not try a sap first?
3. If you have heard of a rash of burglaries in the neighborhood, make your home a non-target. Remove any desirable furniture or artwork from a room with views to the street and put on a little display. Open the curtains and show off one of the most boring family rooms a burglar has ever seen. Run lights on timers so it appears there are family members home at all hours and have your stereo playing even on trips to the grocery store. It will give them a headache just watching your house.
4. Get a dog for the family and train it well. It’s amazing how some of the most hardened individuals can shy away at the sound of a dog. There is something menacing about the savagery of a violent dog that can’t be topped. Still, a dog can be trained to be the friendliest animal on the planet around you and your children while doubling as a protector for your home and property. The sound will often send a burglar packing without the slightest internal debate.
5. Keep any expensive cars in the garage. You don’t want to flash any wealth in the form of your automobile by keeping it in the driveway. To protect your car from the elements and keep your property off the list of thieves, put the car in the garage and keep it locked.
