Burglary Basics

There are ways to help you feel more at home when you’re away on vacation or out of town.

By knowing what burglars look for, you can protect your home. During the warmer weather months, many communities see a 10% to 18% increase in burglaries, home safety experts say.

Burglars prefer an empty house. In fact, about 59% of burglaries occur during the day, when nobody is home. Burglars encounter a resident in 13% of break- ins. Burglars also prefer homes that provide extra cover: tall privacy fences, no outdoor lighting, large shrubs and closed blinds.

The average loss for a home is about $1,350. The typical burglar will spend less than five minutes in a home and take only what he can find and carry away quickly. This includes jewelry, cash, tools, stereos, televisions, VCRs, and computers.

Here are home protection tips you may want to follow:

• Before you go on vacation, create the appearance that someone is home. Use timers on lights and a stereo, keep the grass cut and have a trusted neighbor pick up newspapers and mail.

• Install locks at primary points of entry, especially first-floor doors and windows. Doors should be secured with inch-and-a-half deadbolts. If you’ve just moved into a new home, check all the locks on windows and doors to make sure they work.

• Keep home electronics out of view from outside your home. Don’t keep large sums of cash at home, and consider storing some portable valuables, family heirlooms, in a safe deposit box. Regularly back up computer files.

• Consider a dog or an alarm system, both are effective deterrents because they eliminate the potential for a quick hit.

• Make your home more visible to neighbors. Trim shrubs, open blinds when you’re away and install exterior lighting, including lights that are activated with motion detectors.