FBI statistics indicate that a residence is burglarized once every 15 seconds in the United States and that ranges from houses to apartments and condominiums. If you want to make sure you’re not one to be included in that percentage, try to turn as many of the following tips into habits.

  1. Use automatic timers on lights so they come on even when you are not at home
  2. Always park your car in the garage with the garage door shut since a burglar may otherwise notice a pattern that a closed garage door or no cars in the driveway means no one is home.
  3. If you are away on garbage pickup day, ask a trusted neighbor, friend, or family member to put your garbage cans out to the street and take them back in at the times you normally do so when home. Also, if your cans are kept outside, you may wish to have your neighbor use your garbage cans while you are away since burglars sometimes check for empty cans as a sign of a family being away.
  4. In addition to lights being on automatic timers, place radios on timers as well and set the volume to a level that can be heard from outside while standing at the door or outside a window.
  5. Likewise, lower the volume of your telephone ringer and answering machine so they can’t be heard from outside.
  6. Never leave notes of any type on your door even if only for an hour or two for the delivery man or housekeeper since these quickly tip off burglars looking for an easy target.
  7. Have a trusted neighbor, friend, or family member pick up the mail and newspaper. If possible, do not have either one stopped since that gives information about you being away to anyone watching your home as a possible target.
  8. Install motion detector lights around your house instead of just leaving lights on at night. The lights coming on and turning off attract the attention of neighbors and alert them of a potential problem. Install these lights at least 8 feet above the ground so they are more difficult to disable, and install them so they light all doors and windows.

By following these few pointers you should be well on your way to making sure your home is not one included in the next statistical report issued by the FBI!