Tried And True Methods For Home Burglary Prevention.

Before we dive into ways to prevent a burglary in a residence

, it's very important to have an understanding of when the home burglaries happen, who commits the crimes, and what is usually stolen.

Almost all home burglaries happen during the day, when people are out of town or at work. The hot summer months see a lot of burglaries in a residence, especially in July and August. February actually has the fewest number of home burglaries compared to any other time of the year.

Break-ins are usually committed by men less than 25 years of age. These guys are almost always trying to grab small objects that are easy to carry away and sell for quick cash that they need for living expenses and more often than not, illegal drugs.

The burglars usually grab guns, watches, jewelry, DVD players, and computers. All of this stuff is easily concealed in a duffel bag as the criminal exits the home, and are simple to turn into to cash.

Thieves never want to put in any extra work if they don't need to, so they always look for an open or unlocked door or window. And, unlike most movies where the thief carries a fancy lock pick kit, thieves prefer to rely on common household items such as screwdrivers, pliers,pry bars and hammers.

Although it may seem like burglaries in a residence are random and occur on a whim, this is usually not the case. The burglar will almost always go for the easiest house. This is the house with the easiest access, great spots to hide, and a great means of escape.

Criminals usually go for the easy target! Experienced burglars will stay away from your house if it seems too difficult to enter. So the best way to help stop home burglaries is to make it difficult for a thief to break in.

Experienced burglars choose an entry point that has the most cover, and usually has the weakest lock. This is always the garage door, followed by the back door, and finally the front door.

But first let's take a look at some suggestions on the types of locks

you should think about:

- Purchase a top quality, heavy-duty, deadbolt lock that has a one-inch throw bolt (This is the part that goes into the door when locked)

- If you have to use a "knob-in-lock", make sure you install one that's top quality, heavy duty, and has a "dead-latch" mechanism.

- A "dead-latch" mechanism prevents a credit card or shim from being used to pry open the lock.

- A superior quality deadbolt will have a beveled casing. This usually prevents the use of channel lock pliers to break off the lock pins and gain access.

- Always spend the extra money and get Grade One or Grade Two locks for exterior doors, as these help stop prying, smashing, and lock picking.

Expert Tip:

Most people leave an extra set of keys inside the automobile. Crooks are wise to this and first look inside your automobile for house keys and valuables. Always lock your vehicle, even if it's in the garage.

Now let's talk about doors.

Follow these tips below when considering doors in your house.

- Make sure you invest in the extra money and purchase solid core or metal doors for all exterior entryways. Usually, cheap exterior doors will have hollow cores, and can very easily be kicked through with not much effort by a determined criminal.

- If the door doesn't have one, install a peephole that is a wide-angle 160, placed no higher than 58 inches from the floor.

- Always make sure the door comes with a heavy-duty, four-screw, strike plate with 3-inch screws in order to sink deep into a wooden door frame. The strike plate is almost certainly the weakest piece of the door, as this is where the deadbolt secures the door in unison with the door jamb. Poorly made doors are made with very soft wooden moldings that are typically lightly tacked onto the door frame. All it takes a determined kick or shove with a shoulder to smash the lightweight molding away and force the door open.

- Also, make sure that the screws that hold the door hinges in place have a minimum two 3 inch screws per hinge plate.

- Don't fail to make sure that the screws holding the knob lock strike plate are longer ones as well.

We always suggest spending a little money to get good solid core or metal exterior doors, and strong, heavy duty locks. Remember that an experienced criminal can identify good doors and good locks.

It is very likely that the mere presence of these upgrades will cause the burglar to think twice and move onto an easier target.

by: Don Carter

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