How many times have you watched a television show or movie where a family comes home to find out their home has been broken into and their valuables stolen? During this scene someone usually shouts, “We’ve been robbed!” To most, using the term “robbed” seems to fit the situation; however, this is not correct. Why is this so? Because the unfortunate individuals in the movie or television show were not the victims of a robbery, rather they were victims of a burglary.
Let me explain the difference between robbery and burglary:
The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program defines robbery as, “the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons,” while burglary is defined as “the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft.” According to the FBI, “Over two million burglaries occur each year in the United States, and 70 percent of them are in residential areas.” While these facts may seem alarming, there is no need to worry. There are many burglary prevention tips that can easily protect your home.
Here are some burglary prevention tips:
- Use your locks wisely. Lock all outside doors and windows before you leave your home or go to bed, even if it’s only for a short period of time.
- Guard your garage by keeping the door closed and locked when you leave.
- Never leave the garage door opener inside your unlocked vehicle if you park it outside.
- Store bicycles, lawn mowers and other valuable items out of sight.
- Make your home look occupied if you are away for an extended period of time. Arrange for your lawn to be mowed, mail to be picked up, and have lamps on automatic timers.
- Trim hedges or bushes so they cannot be used as a hiding place. Make sure all outside entrances in the front, back and side of your home have adequate lighting.
- Never hide keys on your property.
The final and most efficient burglary prevention tip is to install a home security system. Home security systems are excellent in every home regardless of its size, location and value.
WH Security is a name trusted by thousands of Twin Cities homeowners and provides excellent, easy-to-operate security alarm systems to monitor your property 24-hours a day. WH Security provides wireless home security systems that can be individually tailored to suit your needs through customizable features, including controls to access specific points in your home remotely via the Internet. To learn more about protecting your home, call a representative at (763) 477-3664 or visit our home burglary security system page.