When people are considering the security for their homes and families, the obvious measures have been already taken like security alarm and camera systems, but there are some measures that can be taken that are not as obvious that can make the difference in certain houses being targeted over others. These things should be avoided. The homeowner should research or familiarize themselves with the dangers and tendencies of the criminal element. It is important to not surrender safety to naiveté.

Lazy Burglars

The first rule is to not make it easy for burglars to case and access the home. This means that when burglars are casing homes for opportunities, the homeowner should not provide any. Be sure to keep curtains and drapery closed. This will make it impossible for people to see valuables and the layout of the home. This type of deterrent will cause the people casing the place to move on to other places. It is advised to not have shrubbery around that can conceal burglars, but thorny bushes like certain types of roses can seriously deter a criminal.

Flash

The next deterrent is to not stand out from the other homes in the neighborhood. Blending in does not mean that standards need to be lowered, but it is important to buy a home on a neighborhood that is to the standard of living of the homeowner. Homes that look obviously more expensive than surrounding homes signals to burglars that the more expensive home is appointed with more expensive items, thereby making the home the most desirable for the burglars. If the property is surrounded by tall fences, then motion lights should be used in these areas, but all areas can benefit from these types of lights.

Exterior Lighting

The third step is to further expound on exterior lighting. Making sure areas that are naturally dark are well lit. Motion detection lights are the obvious best choice because, the sudden light has a startling effect and does not offer a comfort zone to burglars. In addition, the light being triggered will alert the occupants. The most important point of alerting the occupants is that burglars also know that the occupants and possibly neighbors have been alerted and that they, as well as, the security cameras have a clear sight of the offenders.

Awareness

Knowing the habits of burglars is important. Burglars will often check neighborhoods to find certain spots that are vulnerable. Avoiding this is why the first steps are important. After the burglars locate potential places, they will case the places to determine the habits of the occupants. This means that the occupants should vary their schedules and display safe activities that will tell the burglars that the home will not be an easy target. It is also important alert neighborhood security or the police to suspicious activity. These calls will keep a police presence in the neighborhoods and act as a real deterrent to burglars.

Redundancy

Always check window and door locks and attempt to avoid front doors that are not hardy and that have windows and glass in places that accessing the locks after breaking glass will be easy. Always upgrade security systems after new technology has been introduced and proven effective. This means security alarm systems that can be disabled by disabling phone lines are well outdated. It is advised to upgrade these systems to systems that cannot be disabled by any means. Most of these systems can be monitored by services and the occupants. They also monitor for several other emergencies besides security. Vigilance is key, remember to watch for followers and observers, especially after leaving places like banks. If being followed call 911, proceed to well lit, well occupied places.