If you are losing sleep over keeping your family safe and secure, here are five home-security statistics to remember, along with smart ways to avoid the wannabe burglar.Before you go on a security-related spending spree, check with your local police department and ask them about your area's crime rate. This can give a better sense of the potential risks.- Source: Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.
1. More than 62 percent of home burglaries in 2005 took place between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. (in which the time of the crime was known):Six out of 10 people are being robbed while they're at work. However, there are steps you can take to ensure your home is protected when you're not there.- A security system is a great place to start.- If your neighborhood is prone to crime, form a neighborhood watch.- Getting a dog can help you feel safe when you're home and an alarm when you aren't.- Locked windows, bolted doors, and motion sensitive lights are mainstays if you don't already have them
2. The average monetary loss per burglary in 2005 was $1,725. Who has $1,700 lying around that they could do without? Not many. Make sure to keep your belongings in a safe place, or have them appraised by your insurance company. Obviously, you can't replace the sentimental attachment to your wedding ring, but at least you wouldn't have to pay to replace it.
3. In 84 percent of burglaries, the offender gained entry into the victim's residence or other property.Most criminals are not sneaking into back yards and stealing the lawn furniture. They first get on the property, and then try to get inside.- If you have trees or other landscaping that provides too much cover for prowlers, consider trimming them back.- If you don't have a fence, consider putting one up. A fence is a great deterrent.- Pull the shades both at night and while you're not home. This makes it difficult for prowlers to "case" your home. If they can't determine if you, or your dog, are home, or if you have anything worth stealing, then they are likely to choose an easier option.
5. 74 percent of reported home-fire deaths result from fires in homes without working smoke alarms. This one is pretty simple: Get a smoke alarm and make sure it works. Nothing is more important than your family. You can replace your home, but this is a very small price to pay to keep your family safe.
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