It may strike you as odd, but the arrival of Easter on April 23 means that homeowners across the country are at heightened risk for burglary. Why? Burglars are well aware that families attend church (usually in the morning), and in particularly advantageous cases -- from the burglar's standpoint -- those families also head to brunch, a picnic or a get-together with friends or other family members. That means a vacant house for hours upon end, and a prime opportunity to strike.

It's sad, but true: The holidays do put all of us at increased risk of a home burglary. In fact, in some communities across the United States, churches have stopped holding midnight mass or services after local burglarly rates soared. So what to do? Fight back. Attend church, brunch or whatever your hearts desire. But protect your home first. The following tips cover some bases you may not have considered, but they could save you and your family from heartache on what is supposed to be a joyous holiday.

Convinced that you've found the perfect out-of-the-way spot for that spare set of house keys? Think again. No matter how tucked away that spot is, you can't pull the wool over the eyes of an experienced criminal. Never hide you spare keys outside -- anywhere. Instead, leave them in the care of a trusted neighbor. If you're concerned about the possibility of needing those keys when your neighbor isn't at home, make a duplicate set for another neighbor as an insurance policy. And never carry duplicate sets around in your purse, your briefcase or car. If your property is stolen -- particularly a purse, which contains your identification and home address -- you've just made a break-in extremely easy for a burglar. Your only recourse at that point would be to change the locks on your house -- a potentially expensive and time-consuming hassle.

Those hedges in front of your home that are steadily growing up the side of your house should be trimmed. Burglars love the visual protection they provide. High shrubs, hedges and other vegetation make it possible for burglars to enter homes from the front. They can easily break windows and crawl inside your home without being detected by neighbors. But while we're on the subject of shrubs, don't abandon them completely. Use them to protect yourself, instead, by purchasing thorny varieties -- the more prickly, the better. This is an inexpensive security system, so to speak, for your home. Burglars will gladly move on to another target house because no house is worth subjecting themselves to multiple sticks and pricks.

Are you one of those homeowners who leaves the garage door slightly open at the bottom to give your cat access to and from the garage and/or house? It's time to stop. An open garage door -- even just a few inches -- is an open invitation not just for your cat. Experienced burglars have been known to force that opening higher and slide underneath.

Outdoor lighting does more than provide an attractive accent for homes; it also can defend your home against burglary. It's an especially good idea to place such lighting around windows and doors, in addition to any dark corners around the exterior of your home. Motion-detection lighting should be placed behind your home near the garage, and you may consider installing such lighting in front, as well.

When you travel and ask your neighbors to take in your newspapers and mail, ask them to cut your grass, too. Overgrown lawns are a prime indicator that nobody is home.

It's well worth your time to visit your local police station and pick up any literature they have to offer on home protection and crime prevention. Grab as many pamphlets as you can, and share them with your family. Have your children read them cover to cover, and discuss them as a family. If you live in a neighborhood in which several of your fellow neighbors are interested in learning how they can protect themselves and their homes from crime, find out if local police would be willing to come speak to a group of neighbors on the subject of crime prevention.

All of these preventive measures are easy for the entire family to observe. Sometimes, in the case of outdoor lighting, they can even increase the value of your home. Hold a "refresher course" with your family on occasion to make sure everyone is practicing smart safety. And when holidays approach, as one will this coming weekend, be on your guard and pay particularly close attention to the application of your safety measures. With minimal effort, you'll ensure that the only visitor to your home during the wee hours of Easter morning is of the four-legged, lop-eared variety.

Published: April 19, 2000

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.