How to Keep Your Home and Family Safe From Intruders

One of a homeowner’s worst nightmares is that his home might be violated by an intruder. It would be even worse if the family were home at the time. Many people invest in home security systems; this is a great way to help boost the odds in your favor should a break-in occur. But what about discouraging someone from getting in in the first place? There are some low-tech ways that you can prevent a robbery or home invasion. Here are some of them:

If by some chance someone were to monitor your coming and goings, do they always happen at the same time each day? While you can’t do anything about your work schedule, most likely, you might be able to vary other things. Criminals might be more likely to hit on the weekends; after all, many of them have to work, too! Varying your weekend routine can be a deterrent. For example, instead of leaving every Saturday morning at 10:00 am to run errands, try doing some of them on Friday afternoon and leaving at noon instead every once in a while. Another trick is to occasionally go with someone else, leaving your car at home, or taking your spouse’s vehicle and leaving yours behind. The point is to keep someone guessing as to whether or not you are home.

You can do some things to make it look like someone is home even if you are away all day. Leave the radio or television on to create some background noise. Also, set your voicemail to pick up after one or two rings, instead of after four or five. Someone listening would assume that you weren’t home if the phone were allowed to ring for a long time. Finally, put some lamps on timers if you come home after dark, to give the illusion that someone is home.

First, always lock your doors. This can go a long way in preventing a robbery or home invasion. If someone unsavory were to knock on your door and, finding you not home, tried the doorknob, it might be tempting for them to rob your house, even if that wasn’t in their original plan. Second, be cautious about where you leave your key. Leaving it in a key hider, a flowerpot, on top of the door frame, under the front mat or in any of a myriad of places outside is not going to thwart a determined burglar. Instead, leave the key with someone you trust, such as a neighbor whom you have known a long time or a friend in town who could bring you the key if necessary.

Generally speaking, we don’t hesitate to open the door when we’re home alone, even if we don’t know who the person is on the other side. If you look out and it’s someone you don’t recognize, do not let them into the house. Don’t hesitate to ask deliverymen for identification before opening the door if you don’t see a UPS, FedEx or USPS truck. If you did not call for plumbing, electrician or other home service, don’t allow anyone in who claims to be a repairman.

If you have a neighbor whom you trust, ask him or her to collect your mail and receive packages. Another good alternative is to hold delivery with the post office. This will not stop other delivery companies from leaving packages, however. You can also ask a neighbor to park in your driveway some of the days or nights that you are gone and to be sure to take your garbage cans down to the curb on garbage pickup day, whether they are full or not. If you are gone for more than a week, arrange to have your lawn mowed during the summer. Also, if it snows during the winter while you are away, hire someone to shovel your driveway and sidewalk. These will all create the illusion that you’re home and you won’t unintentionally draw unwanted attention to your vacant home.

Most of the ways that you can prevent theft and home invasion are common sense. Think about your house the way a criminal would, and make it hard for them to know whether or not you are in your home at any given time Chances are, this will encourage them to cross your house off of their list and move along.