Theft-proof your home

Make sure you lock up, keep lights & sound on, install alarms

According to the FBI, a burglary occurs once every 11 seconds in the United States. Two out of three burglaries are residential, and 60 percent of them occur in broad daylight. Are you a prime target for a break-in?

If your house has not been "burglar-proofed," you just might be. To a thief, breaking into your house is as easy as 1-2-3. Here's how the average burglary occurs:

1. Burglars look for an easy access point into your home, like your side and back doors, or a window hidden behind tall bushes or trees. If the area is concealed or dark, their job is that much easier.

2. After gaining entry, the first stop is usually the master bedroom. Here the thief will waste no time turning your room upside down looking for cash, jewelry, cameras or other valuables. Next, the burglar will quickly run through the house to look for "gifts" -- that's burglar-speak for small appliances like TVs, laptop computers, VCRs or stereo systems.

3. Last stop is the garage. Here the burglar will proceed to load all your possessions into your car, which he'll then use for a quick get-away.

Lights on
One of the best ways to prevent burglary is to create the illusion of activity in the house. Purchase at least two plug-in timers for lamps and set them to run on different cycles. For example, have one light on in the living room from dark to about 11 p.m.; and another in the bedrooms from about 9 pm until 1 am. You can also get programmable timers for your televisions, audio systems and household appliances.

Don't forget your outdoor lighting. Set timers to come on at dusk and go off at dawn. And to scare away intruders before they get too close, use motion detector spotlights. They protect the perimeter of your house at night by coming on when triggered by motion in front of the sensor beam.

Sound
Leave your TV or radio on when your not at home.

Security
Alarms are another smart option for preventing intrusions. They come either hard wired or wireless, and monitored or non-monitored. Wireless alarm systems work well and can include window and door sensors, motion detectors and even smoke alarms. Instead of signaling a break-in through wiring to a standard alarm control center, the signal is sent via a wireless transmitter to a centrally located receiver, which notifies a monitoring service or the authorities directly. Some wireless alarms can be programmed to call or page you if the alarm has been activated. Be sure to set your perimeter alarm at night while your family is asleep.

Stop the presses
Piles of newspapers and mail at the front door are a sure sign no one is home. Have these services stopped, or better yet, ask a neighbor to collect them. The fewer people that know you are gone, the better and having a trusted neighbor stop by is another set of eyes to assure that all is well.

Notify police
Call your local police department and ask if they keep a "vacant house list." In some towns, police will make a special effort to periodically check your house and look for suspicious activities. You'll need to tell them when you'll be away and give them important information like how many cars should be on your property, if anyone will be stopping by to water plants, etc.

Neighborhood Watch
One of the most effective and inexpensive ways to secure your home at the property line is to turn on the eyes and ears of your neighborhood. Community policing programs like Neighborhood Watch have shown great success in reducing property crime around the world. Burglars know when they're being watched. And they don't like it.