If you just had aburglary, there's no need for me to tell you how this all feels. If you are on the lucky end and you are just looking into how to prevent it, take a moment and imagine what this all looks like:
You grab a coffee with an old friend. You catch up a bit, who has kids? Where did the super smart redheaded guy from high-school end up? Married to the head cheerleader?? No one saw that coming! Awww, they have cute kids... what? they run a farm stand? Wow, the years have flown!!
You're pondering this all as you pull into your driveway. Hmm, why can't that teenager turn lights off, almost every light in the house is on. The front door looks a little weird too. You get closer and it's clear, it's been kicked in.
The thing to do now is return to your car and phone the police. Let them check this out, most importantly, let them figure out if someone is still inside your home.
Once you are allowed back inside, mom's Italian vase is smashed, the freezer door is open and someone has checked all the boxes for cash... and they didn't put them back so there's melted Klondike bars on the floor.
Upstairs, drawers are dumped, someone was in your underwear drawer, your checkbook and your file cabinet and your bathroom. Not even the feminine protection drawer was off limits. Someone moved the toothbrush that you stick in your mouth every night. That's trash.
Valuables are gone. The kid's slime green mac book, the x-box, the surround sound pulled our of the walls. Honestly, for most, the items come second to the realization that some body was just in your home.
Were they watching you? Learning your habits? Will they come back now that they know your home? Statistics say yes. Right about 30 days from now... when you've replaced the 5 year old TV they took with a brand new one.
The officers will suggest that you upgrade the door frame and hardware. When it's split open, it's crystal clear the piece of wood holding your door shut is about a quarter inch wide and just tacked down to the stud. A hefty 10 year old could break that.
So whether this just happened to you or not, understanding how it happened or how it could happen can keep you from living this moment.
Anatomy of a burglary...
A burglar can be in and out of your house in around 10-12 minutes. Many burglars want to avoid confrontation so they will be as quick as possible. This means you should always be prudent with your home security, even if you’re only visiting the corner shop.
How often does it happen?
1,729,806 burglaries were reported in 2014. That's 4739 burglaries a day that the police across the country are dealing with.
The information presented on this sheet by the Washington Post is straight forward. 34% of thieves are coming right through the front door. As odd as this seems, it speaks to how most burglars approach your home. They will knock on your door to see if anyone is home. If you open the door, they will say they needed directions, are giving free painting estimates or some other fake reason why they are at your door. If you don't open, they have been on your porch long enough for people to go back to what they were doing and not pay attention to someone kicking your door in.
Other areas are shown and the fact that most burglaries are going to take 8 - 12 minutes. That's it! They will check the common places for valuables and head out.
How do you prevent these burglaries from happening to you?
Here's some basics:
- Lock your doors and windows. Another telling statistic is that 30% of burglaries occur through an unlocked door or window. Most burglars are looking for a quick in and out, DON'T PROVIDE IT.
- Don't advertise. When a would be burglar is looking around your home, don't entice them with all your goodies in plain view. Get window coverings that hide the ultra-light flat screen TV in hubby's man cave. Don't leave a $600 smart phone sitting on counters next to laptops and such. Whey you buy a new large item like an X-box, don't put the box in the top of the trash can! Take a walk around your home and see what valuables are just hanging out, like tools and expensive bikes.
- Trim shrubs that thieves can hide in and spend extra time gaining access to your home. Security lights are an excellent deterrent as well.
- Upgrade locks, For well under $20, you can upgrade your doors' strike plates to sturdier metals and 3-4" screws that actually go into the stud of the home, not the 1/2" screws that come standard with most strike plates.
- If you don't have a security system, you should consider it. Security systems not only deter burglars, alert you and professional back-up if there is a burglary attempt and alert everyone in the local area of activity, they also monitor for fire, carbon monoxide and flooding and offer affordable video surveillance of your property.
- For more in-depth information to take some serious preventative tips, check out this blog on fortifying your home and keeping burglars on the outside.
If it's time to invest in home security, call and set up a FREE Home Security Review. A local security expert will come, listen to your concerns and desires, then offer you a few solutions that are tailored to meet your needs. Call us at 1-800-310-9490 or click below and we'll call you.
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