Every day, almost 5,000 homeowners become victims of home invasion, working out to more than 200 burglaries an hour. In 2014, homeowners lost possessions worth a whopping $3.9 billion to burglars, with victims reporting an average loss of $2,251. Other than the material loss, you will have to deal with the psychological damage to having the privacy of your home invaded. Luckily, in addition to consulting security services like Law Enforcement Specialists, Inc, you can take proactive measures to prevent theft.
Take It Easy on Social Media
After working hard for days on end, you finally have enough money for your dream holiday, and so you fly away to a tropical island. You’re living the dream and can hardly wait to update your friends and family on how it’s going. Not so fast; you should know that predators are lurking in the deep, waiting for an opportunity such as this to present itself. A cautious bunch, burglars know that it is easier to break into an empty home. Therefore, they have taken to monitoring social media accounts for lead generation. If you have lots of personal information on your account, they can figure out your residential address and plan a stakeout. If the opportunity arises, they will break into your home and steal your prized possessions.
Be Careful with Your Keys
You’ve probably seen it in the movies where a secret agent or even a criminal needing a place to lie low steals a parked car. In some instances, the keys are in the wheel hub or on the sun visor inside the vehicle. A quick search unearths a set of house keys, and they have hit the jackpot. Fiddling with the onboard navigation system reveals the car owner’s residence, and they chart a course there.
Although that might seem far-fetched, it could happen to you if some criminal were to gain access to your car and your house keys were in it. For the best results, you should keep them on your person as it makes your home less of a target. The same case applies to leaving the house keys under your front door mat. Someone can waltz in without raising any suspicion and rob you blind.
Befriend Your Neighbors
While you have every reason to hate nosy neighbors, it is in your best interest to be in good books with your next-door neighbors. Sometimes, that nosiness can work to your advantage, especially when your home stands in its own compound. A vigilant neighbor is likely to notice a stranger lurking around your house and raise the alarm. They are likely to call the police or even call to ask if you were expecting someone. If you’re on friendly terms with your neighbors, you can have them stop by your house whenever you’re away for an extended vacation. Neighborhoods where the residents maintain a cordial relationship between themselves tend to have low crime rates.
Many people out there are looking for an opportunity to do you harm or steal your stuff. Therefore, do your best to stay safe and avoid giving them a chance to achieve their goals. This entails being careful on the Internet and making it hard to access your personal details.
