5 Tips to Prevent Daytime Burglaries
By
Christopher Coble, Esq. on August 31, 2015
| Last updated on March 21, 2019
Kids are heading back to school, which may mean your house will be empty while you're at work all day. Even if your neighborhood has never experienced burglaries, that doesn't mean it won't happen.
Daytime burglaries are the most common and can be the costliest. Here are some tips to make your home harder for burglars to break into:
Keep It Tidy: From your landscaping to children's toys to your yard tools, keeping your house clean on the outside can keep the burglars away. Trimming bushes and trees around windows can make your house more visible and thus harder for burglars to sneak in, and removing theft temptations from the exterior of your home can deter thieves who might break in.
Secure Windows and Sliding Doors: You already know about locking your main doors, but burglars also know to avoid those, looking for less secure windows and sliding doors instead. Beyond just locking these, consider using a wooden or steel rod in the door channel to prevent the door from being opened. A nice breeze inside is great when you're home, but make sure windows are closed and locked when you're away.
Man's Best Friend: Dogs, large and small, can be an effective deterrent to burglars. The prospect of being bitten by a large dog or being yapped at constantly by a tiny one will usually send a potential thief to the next target. But don't just buy a dog for security purposes -- make sure your pet works with your family and lifestyle.
High Tech Help: The number of home security options seems infinite these days, from light timers to exterior cameras to motion sensors that can alert an app on your phone. (Even fake cameras or dummy security signs can give burglars pause.) And the prices for home security technology are falling all the time. So why leave all your lights on, when a simple switch can turn them on and off throughout the day like you're home? Get some cool gadgets to help.
Be Friendly: Caring neighbors look out for each other, and sometimes a little nosy-ness can go a long way to protecting your home. Being on good terms with the folks in your neighborhood can mean the quiet, older woman down the block will tell you if she sees a van scoping your house while you're at work.
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