1. Home Security: Protecting Your Home Against TheftEvery 15 seconds, a home in America is robbed. The 2009 FBI Uniform Crime Report shows that 72.6% of all burglaries involved residential properties¹, an increase of 2.3% from 2008. Fortunately, a little preparation can go a long way toward protecting you and your family, as most burglars will not break into a well-protected home. ¹http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/offenses/property_crime/burglary.html To determine the security of your home, consider these six questions: 1. Will your doors withstand an assault?Most burglars will spend just four or five minutes trying to break into a home. Their preferred entry point: Your front or back door. Typically, they’ll ring the bell and knock to see if you’re home, then try to shoulder or kick an entry door open (more often the back door, because it’s less exposed to passers-by). If that’s unsuccessful, most crooks will try using a crowbar to pry the door open. Your best defense against this type of attack is a solid-core (or steel) door, with a high-quality deadbolt lock and reinforced strike plate. The deadbolt and strike plate secure the door to the door frame, while the heavy-duty door prevents the lock from simply being broken loose. Sliding patio and deck doors are also susceptible. Make sure yours lock with a key (not just a flip switch), or are secured with a pin that passes through both door frames. Another option is to lay a rod in the door track to keep it from sliding open. 2. Are your windows secure?Sliding windows are the second-most common entry point—especially when left ajar during the warm months. To guard them, drill holes between the two window frames and use a metal pin to keep them locked in place—when closed or partially open. This retrofitting process is simple (do-it-yourselfers can easily find step-by-step instructions online), and the pin can quickly be removed in case an emergency evacuation is necessary. 3. Have you properly guarded your garage?Garages are another weak point for most homes—especially attached garages. If a burglar is able to gain entry to your garage, not only are there things to steal inside, but, if it’s an attached garage, he/she now also has access to the door leading to the rest of the house (and is protected from view while he/she works to break through it). Treat any door between your house and garage as you would your front door: Keep it locked, protect it with a deadbolt, and make sure it’s solid-core construction. When coming and going, make a habit of ensuring your garage door is completely closed before driving away or going inside. If you have an automatic opener, make sure it features “rolling code” technology. Rolling code technology is similar to the original garage door technology (DIP Switch) where a code is stored in the both the transmitter and receiver. However, this can cause security problems as thieves can use radio scanners to “read” the remote control transmission and gain access. In rolling code technology, there is an added layer of security since the current code is stored in a memory location on a chip for both the transmitter and receiver. However, when the garage door is opened, this technology uses a pseudo-random number generator to reset the code at the time, ensuring your security. And if you park in the driveway outside the garage, never leave the remote in the car, where it can be snatched and used to gain entry. 4. Are you providing protection to thieves?Yards with lots of shrubbery, tall fences, hedges and other privacy features provide good protection for thieves—who can remain hidden from neighbors while they peer into windows, pry open doors and make off with your goods. To reduce the areas in which a burglar can hide, keep your landscape pruned and maintained. Don’t plant large shrubs next to the house, especially under windows (unless they’re roses or other thorny varieties). And trim the lower branches on any trees so no one can use them to gain entrance to the second story. 5. Is the exterior of your house well-lit?Most burglaries occur during the day, when homeowners are working. However, prowlers and other criminals prefer to work at night. Outdoor lights are the best method for keeping this element at bay.Consider mounting fi xtures on each corner of your house to fl ood the walls with light in all directions. Even better: make them motion-sensitive so you’re automatically alerted when a prowler comes creeping around. 6. Have you installed an alarm system?According to a recent study, “an alarmed single-family home is more than 60 percent less likely to be burgled than a similar home without an alarm.” In addition, most insurance companies will discount your premium as much as 20 percent if you install one. Systems that send someone to check when there’s an alarm (the police or private security) are considered the best options. But do-it-yourself, Internet-based systems that let you monitor your home from any computer screen are also popular now. The more layers, the better your chances.While some of the above security suggestions may work better than others in specific situations, your best bet is to try to incorporate as many as possible. That’s why experts talk about security features in terms of layers: The more layers you have, the less appealing your home is to burglars, and the harder it is for them to gain entry.<br />