Stop them in their tracks...

Easy ways to make it harder for burglars

You’ve probably seen the clever TV ads featuring Professor Burke as he educates customers on the finer points of insurance and offers informative risk-prevention tips. In one ad, Burke asks: What if you didn’t know that boxes by the curb make you a target for thieves? Burke and a customer walk by a home with expensive electronics boxes by the curb. The home’s door is open and we see a burglar walk out with an expensive flat screen TV followed by another wearing 3D glasses.
If you’ve ever been burglarized however, you know what an awful feeling it is to have your home violated and to lose your personal property. Unfortunately, burglary is the crime of choice for many criminals but for a minimal investment, you may be able to make your home potentially less appealing to burglars.

• Trim your shrubs — Don’t offer unwanted intruders a safe place to hide, albeit unwittingly. Make sure your home’s windows, porches and doors are visible to neighbors and passersby and not shrouded by vegetation.
• Close the blinds, shutters or shades — Burglary is often a crime of opportunity — if you don’t offer one, burglars will typically move on. Closing shades, blinds and the like may help to prevent burglars from window shopping at your place.
• Install motion sensors and use them — Dark or poorly illuminated areas make it easier for a burglar to move about unseen. Motion-sensing security lights are fairly inexpensive and readily available at home improvement stores. They are activated when motion is detected and the sudden change from darkness to bright light will typically startle intruders and may provide a visual alert to you and your neighbors.
• Use indoor timers to control lighting — Timers hooked up to indoor lights and TVs that switch on when it gets dark make it appear as if someone is home and may serve as a deterrent to thieves.
• Install deadbolts — Consider installing a deadbolt on every exterior door; the bolt should have a throw of at least one inch.
• Don’t post your travel plans or whereabouts on social media sites — Sharing your vacation plans and checking in can be fun, but doing so is a public declaration of your whereabouts and a potential invitation to thieves.

Use common sense
Always lock all your doors and windows whenever you leave your home — even if you’re just running out for a few minutes. It’s a simple and smart thing to do. At Farmers, we make you smarter about insurance — because as Professor Burke will tell you, when it comes to insurance, what you don’t know can hurt you.

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