Imagine this: You come home late from work. It’s dark outside, and you’re tired from a long stressful day at the office. But, when you put your key in the lock of the front door of your house, you find it ajar. Slowly, you push the door open wondering if you simply forgot to lock up when you left that morning. You ease your way into your house suspicious of every shadow lurking in the corner. When you finally find the light switch and turn on the lights you realize the worst possible thing has happened. Someone has burglarized your home and reduced you to a national statistic.

Recent statistics indicate that one American home is burglarized every 11 seconds.
When we are at home, our top priority is feeling safe and secure. No one likes to think about the possibilities of strangers pilfering our most prized possessions and family treasures, but there are steps you can take to make your home more secure for you and your family.

What is the easiest point of entry to your home?
Trim trees and shrubs near your doors and windows where intruders may hide during their break-in. Most burglars work under the cloak of darkness and privacy. Add exterior lights, mounted out of reach from the ground, around your home. Motion sensitive lights are a good idea, too.

How can you slow down a burglar?
Burglars must work swiftly or they risk being caught. The more difficult it is to enter your home, the more time it will take the burglar who will probably give up and move on to his next mark. Simple security devices – nails, screws, padlocks, door and window locks, grates, bars and bolts – can keep intruders out of your home. Noise is another threat to a potential burglar. An obvious choice for home protection is to have an alarm system installed with detectors mounted on all doors and windows. The alarm system will alert your neighbors when an intruder has broken one of the seals, and the alarm company will send help your way.

Do you have valuable items that are visible through a window?
You may be proud of your new wide screen television with surround sound, but displaying it near a window so it can be seen from the outside is an invitation to disaster. Rearranging your furnishings could make your home less appealing to an intruder.

Make an inventory of all your valuable possessions.
List the items using all identifying markings and serial numbers. This document can be very valuable if you ever have to file a burglary report with the police or a claims report with your insurance company.

Adopt a few home security habits.
Establish a routine each day to make sure that all doors and windows are locked and alarm systems are on. Avoid giving information to unidentified telephone callers or announcing your personal plans in want ads or public notices, such as giving your address when advertising items for sale. Don’t carry your house keys on a ring that has your address printed on it. Don’t hide your keys in special places on your property. A good thief always knows where to look!

Take special precautions when you leave for vacation.
Have your mail and newspapers picked up by a neighbor. If you plan an extended vacation, make arrangements to have someone mow your lawn. Automatic timers on lights in the living room and bedrooms and leaving the blinds open in their usual positions will also give the appearance that someone’s home. Let your neighbors know when you are leaving and when you plan to return home.

What if you confront an intruder in your home?
Run away if you can, and call the police. If you can’t escape, run to a safe room and lock yourself inside. If you are forced to face the intruder, stay as calm and passive as possible. Don’t try to pick a fight with someone who came prepared for criminal activity.