Neighborhood Defense in the Age of Burglaries

It's estimated that a home is broken into every fifteen seconds in the United States. Burglars actively take advantage of homes they consider easy pickings and avoid those whose owners have taken steps to avoid being victimized.

There are a few things neighborhoods and the homeowners who live there can do to make burglars think twice about breaking in.

Alarm Systems Can Make the Difference

Burglary alarms are one of the best deterrents to home invasions. These come in several forms with the simplest sounding a loud alarm with the intention of scaring off the burglar and alerting neighbors to the break-in. More complex systems include those monitored by security companies. When a break-in is detected by a monitoring company, a dispatcher contacts the police and sends them right to your door.

Many people rely on stickers or signs that advertise a home is protected by a specific company. Unfortunately, many intruders know these notifications can be purchased without an alarm system to back them up and would-be burglars also know that even if a home is alarmed, there's a good chance the alarm may be turned off.

A good burglary alarm is worth its weight in gold.

Nosy Neighbors are a Good Thing

Neighborhood Watch groups are another way to discourage burglaries. Neighborhoods with an active Neighborhood Watch program make burglars think twice about working the area because the last thing they want is to be detected. When neighbors take the safety and security of others in the neighborhood seriously and are willing to get involved, burglars back away. Ideas on implementing a local program can be found at the National Neighborhood Watch program at National Neighborhood Watch

Similar to Neighborhood Watch, the average homeowner can be vigilant to observe suspicious behavior. Jotting down a license plate, noting a pedestrian that doesn't fit into the neighborhood or noticing an open door or window can mean the difference between a victimized household and a safe one. Stopping by a home to ask the resident if he's really moving may disrupt a daylight burglary in which a moving van is loading up with items the neighbor didn't want to part with.

Nosy neighbors also come in handy when reporting dogs that usually don't bark at night, an open entry way into a home where the residents are in school or at work, or unfamiliar vehicles parked on the street. All are circumstances easy to ignore with the thought that they don't really mean anything. Police officers would rather respond to a hundred calls of activity that is discovered to be innocent than miss the one crime in progress. An overview of burglary statistics is available from the FBI at FBI

Don't Make a Burglar's Day

A burglar's number one fear is being caught. Homeowners can make the detection of nefarious characters much easier if they follow a few simple concepts of home security such as locking doors and windows when no one is home and making a house look occupied. The more work an intruder has to do to gain entry increases the likelihood of noise and visibility that will alert neighbors and consequently, the police.

The defense against home invasion is bolstered by common sense. Keep bushes around windows and doors trimmed back to prevent a burglar using them for cover. Use timers for interior and exterior lights that change the home's lighting every few hours to make it look like someone is at present and awake. Using the time-honored dog that will bark like crazy at someone it doesn't know goes back centuries and is still effective. The San Jose Police Department has more tips on preventing burglaries. San Jose Police Department

Upping the odds an intruder will be detected and you raise the odds of not being victimized. Neighborhoods and individual homeowners working together can discourage burglaries and provide their communities with a sense of safety and security,