How to Prevent Home Burglary

Light, time and noise are a homeowner's greatest weapons in the fight to prevent a home burglary. Nationally, there are over five million home burglaries each year and nine out of ten of these crimes are preventable.

To help prevent home burglaries, WIC offers the following tips:

• Think like a burglar. "Case" your home the way a burglar would and look for easy ways to enter your home. This will help identify your greatest security weaknesses. Look to see if valuables such as expensive electronic devices or artwork are visible from the street. If passers by can see your belongings, so can criminals.
  
• Keep in mind that a burglar's three worst enemies are light, time and noise. Exterior lights mounted out of reach can reduce the risk of a break-in. Also, make it time-consuming for a burglar to break into your home by installing simple security devices such as padlocks, bars, grates, door and window locks. These devices can discourage intruders and keep them from entering. Noise is another important deterrent. Dogs, alarms and other noisy security devices reduce the risk of a break-in.
  
• Trim trees and shrubs near doors and windows. High fences and shrubbery can add to your privacy, but privacy is a burglar's asset. Consider trading a little privacy for added security.
  
• Take a look at your doors. Outside doors should be metal or solid hardwood and at least 1 3/4 inches thick. Frames must also be made of strong material. The best lock will not deter a burglar if it is installed in a weak door.
  
• Install a sophisticated burglar and smoke alarm system. Systems that ring at outside services or that contact police and fire departments are highly effective in reducing burglaries, fire relating damage and injuries.
  
• Don't exchange security for personal safety. Don't make your home such a fortress that you are unable to escape in the event of a fire or other emergency.

Insurance companies give discounts for devices that make a home safer. Most companies give discounts of two to five percent for deadbolt locks, fire extinguishers and smoke and fire alarms. Insurance companies frequently give discounts of 15 to 20 percent for sophisticated sprinkler, smoke and burglar alarm systems that ring at an outside service or notify the police and fire departments.

For more information on how to burglar-proof your home, contact your insurance agent or your local law enforcement agency. Also, the Washington Insurance Council has a free brochure, complete with a graphic design of suggested ways to prevent your home from burglary, titled "You Don't Want Strangers Pointing Out Your Home Security Flaws" available by calling the WIC toll-free 1-800-664-4942 consumer hotline or by writing to WIC at 1904 Third Avenue, Suite 925, Seattle, WA 98101-1123.