It happens every day. Someone arrives home and notices things just aren’t right. The back patio door is open, there’s a breeze coming through the bedroom window or, worse, the home is trashed.
A home burglary can cause a sinking feeling like no other. You lose your sense of security, have to deal with investigators, insurance agents and then probably share the bad news with neighbors.
Home burglaries can happen to anyone. But there are several proven ideas to greatly reduce your risk.
Smart landscaping, well-lit entries, strong locks and thoughtful security plans can all send would-be burglars onto to something easier and less risky.
Smart Landscaping Discomforts Would-Be Thieves
As long as there have been houses, there have been burglaries. The silver lining in that is that burglary prevention has become a science of its own.
One of the prevailing strategies to prevent home burglaries is Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design — or CPTED. Used effectively, studies show implementing CPTED practices can reduce crime by 30 to 84 percent.
Though CPTED delves deep into the details and each home requires different solutions, the basics of deterring crime are relatively simple.
You mark your territory. This often means using a fence or landscaping to make it clear which side of a property line you are on, like this. But it extends beyond your property line and into your neighborhood. The neighborhood sends a message to criminals by removing graffiti and keeping homes and yards well-maintained.
You may have heard of the broken window theory, where one blemish breeds another until the neighborhood is on a downward spiral. Well, it works going the other direction, too. Community gardens, beautiful landscaping and tidy yards help encourage others in the neighborhood to maintain their property, and well-maintained neighborhoods tend to have less crime.
You control access into your home. This means you limit the places someone can enter and making sure entry points are easily visible and clearly lit at night, like this. Burglars tend to avoid areas that only give them one entry and exit that is highly visible.
You create natural surveillance. Would you be able to see someone prowling around your home from the street or a neighbor’s house? Natural surveillance often means trimming bushes and installing proper lighting.
You don’t need a moat. You just need to be able to light one. Burglars often hit areas that have low visibility.
Scare the thieves off with functioning street lights and well-lit entry points. But don’t try to illuminate everything with a flood light — often a few well-placed motion-sensing lights will suffice.
Don’t let landscaping overgrow into a hiding place. Keep hedges shorter than three feet and tree canopies above eight feet, especially around entry ways. Use fencing that allows people to see over it or through it.
Finally, there’s target hardening. This often involves reinforcing locks on doors and windows. But it branches out to home security systems, which are another great way to show burglars that your home is too risky to break into.
Despite Low Crime Rate, Property Crime Common
Austin has one of the lowest rates of violent crime in the nation. In fact, it has the third lowest rate of violent crime among large cities.
But it has a relatively high rate of property crimes, including thefts from yards, cars and homes. And, since most property crimes aren’t reported until the criminals are long gone and there are often no witnesses or significant evidence, property crimes are among the most difficult to solve.
Austin has 14 burglary detectives overseen by two sergeants and assisted by an administrative specialist and a crime analyst who also works on auto thefts.
Only about 13 percent of the 41,667 property crimes reported in 2013 were solved. Included in that total are 6,550 burglaries. Of those, 9 percent of the cases were solved or closed, according to Austin’s annual crime report.
That’s why prevention is key.
Austin Police Department Recommendations
The Austin Police Department recommends the following:
1. Install a deadbolt lock.
Deadbolts are usually locked with a key from the outside and a thumb turn on the inside. The cylinder should be pick resistant. Lock your doors every time you leave the house, even if you’re leaving for just a few minutes during the day. The most popular times for residential burglaries are weekday daylight hours. In over 1/3 of burglaries, there is no forcible entry–someone forgot to lock the doors.
2. Install solid doors.
Outside doors should be metal or solid hardwood and at least 1 3/4 inches thick.Frames must be made of equally strong material and each door must fit its frame securely. It is also recommended that residents replace the smaller (usually 1”) screws on the lock’s strike plate with longer screws that attach to the more solid interior door frame in the wall (versus simply screwing into the trim around the door.)
3. Keep garage doors closed and locked.
Open doors and windows are commonly checked by burglars looking for an opportunity.
4. Secure sliding doors and windows.
Cut a broom-handle to the length of the bottom track so that the window or door will not slide open when forced. Also, drill one hole through both casings and sliding window and insert a nail or pin.
5. Secure sash windows.
To prevent wooden sash windows from being pried open, drill a downward sloping hole into the top of the bottom window through and into the bottom of the top window and insert a pin or nail. To prevent aluminum sash windows from being broken into, purchase a track lock that blocks the window track.
6. Mark your property.
Mark your valuables with an engraver. Marking your property serves as a deterrent to would-be burglars and it helps police in identifying and returning stolen property. Make a property identification list. Put warning stickers on doors and windows.
7. Purchase a burglar alarm.
A home alarm system can be a very effective burglary deterrent and fit into many people’s needs. Remember to test your system monthly.
8. Leave a light on.
When leaving on trips, leave a light on in the bathroom. In the bedroom, attach a lamp and radio to a 24-hour electronic timer set to go on at dusk and off at your bedtime. Close bedroom drapes or blinds.
9. Use proper exterior lighting.
Place a light over every door. Double cone lights on each corner of the house will also light up windows.
10. Work together with your neighbors.
When you are going to be away, tell trusted neighbors and ask them to watch your property. Have neighbors maintain your yard. When on vacation, have someone cut grass. Shrubbery should not hide neighbors’ view of windows or doors. Have someone pick up newspapers and mail. Tell neighbors to call police if they notice anything suspicious.
11. Maintain a current list of the serial numbers from your property.
Write down the serial numbers from valuables throughout your house. Keep copies of the list in multiple areas so at least one will be accessible. DON’T keep the only list on items such as computers or laptops as those items are frequently stolen by thieves. Doing this simple thing dramatically increases the chances that your property is recovered if it is ever stolen.