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Your home is your castle, your private retreat and your personal sanctuary. Your most valuable possessions are usually in your home, and you cannot put a price on the value of protecting your family. You take steps to make your home safe for your family, but it’s also important to protect your family and home from intruders. Here are steps you can take to increase your home security.

Understand Where the Vulnerable Points of Entry are
You’ve spent a small fortune on a quality front door lock, but the Washington Post reports that 22 percent of thieves gain entry through the back door. Another 23 percent take advantage of first floor windows, nine percent waltz in through garage doors, six percent find unlocked entrances on the side of the house, and four percent use basement windows. It’s important to protect every potential entry point, and that means taking a careful look around your home.

Make it Less Attractive
You want your home to be attractive to boost curb appeal, but you don’t want it to be attractive to burglars. It is estimated that burglars want to gain access within sixty seconds. If it takes longer than this, then they are likely to continue looking for another target. Deadbolts, window pins and window bars are all deterrents that will encourage thieves to move on to the next house. Take the time to check all exterior doors before leaving your house to go to work or the grocery store.

Keep the Property Clean
A tidy property looks great and is attractive. It’s also harder for burglars to break in if everything is neatly stored away. Leaving a ladder out on the side of your house is asking for problems because a thief can use it to reach unlocked second floor windows. Overgrown shrubs are a hiding space, but you can eliminate that by keeping the bushes neatly trimmed.

Trick Burglars with Random Timers
Criminals may not be interested in an honest living, but that doesn’t mean they are stupid. They aren’t interested in getting caught, so most of them choose to break in when people aren’t at home. They know that most people are at work between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., so this is the most common time period for break-ins. Set random timers around the house so the TV, radio or lights will turn on during those hours.

Monitored Home Security Systems Provide a Great Deal of Protection
Estimates show that homes with a security system are three times more likely to be burglarized. Thieves don’t want the hassle of dealing with an alarm, and they certainly aren’t interested in hitting a house where the police will be called if the alarm sounds. Many systems cost less than a dollar a day for monitoring, and that makes them an attractive option for protecting your family.

Protecting your family is often a matter of diligence and keeping doors locked. Thieves are looking for fast entry and an easy hit, so you can protect your family by making your home less attractive to the criminal element. Keep tools safely stored in the garage, maintain a clean yard and invest in deadbolts for all exterior doors.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/homeandgarden/features/2007/burglary-070507/graphic.html

Dylan Johnson is a writer for Home Security Company in OKC Security Options. They specialize in security systems in OK.