7 Ways Criminals Target Homes
Home burglaries are unexpected but are they unpredictable? Not quite. While criminals are opportunistic, they are also calculated and prepared to take advantage of known weaknesses. There are many commonalities between homes that are targeted for burglary and other crimes. When you learn how criminals target homes, you can take steps to make changes and protect yourself, your family, and your property.
No Signs of Home Security
The first thing criminals look for in a target is a home with no signs of security. Consider this: The four percent (4%) of homes that take absolutely no security measures account for nearly thirty percent (30%) of all burglaries! That is far from random. And the more security system technologies you employ, the lesser the likelihood of your home being robbed.
Homes with signs of security measures such as video doorbells, video surveillance systems, alarm systems, and smart home systems serve as a strong deterrence because they significantly increase the chances of getting caught. And no criminal wants to be caught.
Homes with Easy Access
Easy access makes a home attractive to criminals. The most common way burglars enter a home is through unlocked windows and doors on the first floor. Use smart locks, video doorbells, and exterior video surveillance to increase security around the first floor.
Location, Location, Location
Criminals also are likely to target homes in low-traffic areas where they are less likely to encounter neighbors who would report a crime.
If your home is in a lesser-trafficked area, increase security lighting, use intrusion alarms, video surveillance, and professional monitoring to help deter crime.
Familiar Neighborhoods
The more homes in a neighborhood that have already been burglarized, the higher the chance that your home will become a target. Burglars target homes in areas where they have already had success, perhaps because they are familiar with floor plans or fewer homes in the area have home security systems.
Boost your security with visible deterrents and encourage neighbors to do the same. Studies show that the more homes that have protection in place, it decreases the crime rates in that area.
Places to Hide
Criminals look for homes that provide enough cover to conceal their activities and identities. Overgrown greenery, high walls, and other obstructions give criminals enough cover to get into and out of a home unseen.
To increase security, remove obstructions, increase lighting, and implement video surveillance to cover the grounds.
No Signs of Activity
A home with no activity is a magnet for crime. Newspapers or mail gathering outside, no lights on in the home, and no obvious and unpredictable signs of activity tell the criminal that your home is a perfect target.
Use smart home technologies to simulate presence and make it difficult for criminals to determine your schedule. Have lights, appliances, entertainment systems, and even the HVAC system turn off and on periodically when you are not home.
Social Media
Criminals are usually local and, like everyone else, are on social media. For them, it is the ideal tool for narrowing down potential homes to target. Criminals only need a rough idea of where you live — and access to Google Street View — to start casing your home. Using check-in apps and posting vacation photos broadcasts to the world that you’re not at home and your home is open for business.
Social media is fun, but keep your business private. It is very easy for others to put together your plans, activities, schedules, and more just from a few simple posts.
Criminals target homes because of simple, identifiable weaknesses, the most important of which is the failure to employ basic home security technologies. If you have any questions about how you can make your home less of a target for crime, contact us today!
Home Security New Orleans
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For more information, contact us today to receive a free quote.
