Home Security:
BREAK-IN
Burglary Prevention
A "Break-In" is when an intruder breaches your home security either by quietly prying an opening or smashing his way in.
This page will help you turn the odds much more in your favor in protecting your home. Remember that most criminals are looking for an easy target - by following the steps below, you make yourself the difficult target they choose to avoid.
Know that home security has two components: First, fortifying your home with hardware and electronics. Second, insisting your entire family always use them properly.
Standard residential doors are only moderately secure. See how to fortify your doors at Door Security Systems and Door Reinforcement. If you live in an apartment, see Apartment Security .
Coming Home to a Burglary
If you arrive home and notice signs of a burglary, do not enter – the burglar may still be inside. If you do confront a burglar, allow him to escape. Or, you should flee and call the police. Too many victims, men especially, try to capture or punish a burglar, which leads to a dangerous escalation of violence. Your valuables can be replaced.
One woman living alone rings the doorbell upon arriving home to alert any burglars to flee. Then she opens the door slightly to see if anyone has removed the small pile of money she’d casually strewn in plain view on a table just inside the door (visible only from indoors). If the money is still there, she assumes she’s indeed alone.
Types of Burglars and Invaders
• Professionals (often called “cat burglars”) are almost the only ones able to defeat the more sophisticated home defense measures. A tiny minority of all burglars, they prefer businesses or very wealthy homes and rarely target an ordinary home. They’re seldom dangerous unless trapped.
• Opportunists (often juvenile delinquents) usually want to avoid confrontation (thus usually medium danger) and are hoping for easy pickings.
• Thrill-seekers are (medium danger) juvenile delinquents, or (high danger) gang members, rapists, and murderers.
• Drug addicts, usually unskilled, unpredictable, and often high on drugs, commit up to 90 percent of all burglaries and home invasions but rarely plan them well. Terrified of arrest and drug withdrawal, they’re desperate, volatile, and often convinced you’re holding out on them. Irrational and prone to violence, they are very dangerous.
How Predators Choose a Home
• Predators wear disguises and use props to look harmless. Male and/or female, they may drive a vehicle with a phony (magnetic) business sign, push a baby-stroller, walk a dog, jog past, wear utility uniforms, or pose as sales-persons.
• Some knock on your door to ask some flimflam question (or knock then duck out of sight). They want to see if anyone is home, if you're careless enough to open your door to a stranger (making it easy to Push-In), if you have a dog, etc. They want to assess your security – they’re sniffing for prey – and no family is any safer than its most careless member.
• They usually prefer secluded homes with weak home security in low-crime areas where they’re least expected.
• Some think the nicest yard indicates nice stuff inside; others think the shabbiest yard indicates shabby security.
• Most prefer daylight, others the night. They can strike anywhere, anytime.
Read of a debate between two ex-burglars: How to Protect Your Home From Burglars, According to Burglars
Burglars usually flee from a confrontation, and become violent only if chased or trapped. But what if an intruder isn’t merely a burglar? What if he doesn’t flee from you or doesn’t want you to get away from him?
That's why you should turn one of your rooms into a safe room.
PREVENTING BREAK-INS
Fortify your home by burglar-proofing it with these hardware and electronics (and always use them):
• Door Reinforcement
• Window Reinforcement
• Outdoor Security Lighting
• DIY Security Systems
Even if you live in Sleepy Valley, safeguard your home security - predators like to prowl where the prey least expect them.
Prevent home intrusions by making sure all your family members always use these strategies. Of course, predators will almost always find prey – but the most cautious targets will likely be spared.
