When selecting which home to break into, burglars will start by seeking information. It may be a casual drive through your neighborhood, immediately breaking into a likely house. Or it may involve weeks of casing, learning about the people who live there and their habits, even approaching neighbors or the residents themselves using a pretext to ask questions or get a look inside. Keeping information out of the wrong hands and detecting criminals early are discussed elsewhere at CrimeRepellent.com, but continue reading for a number of things to look for outside your home. The following simple changes will make your home less appealing to criminals, and therefore less likely to be targeted for a crime such as burglary.
Start by walking around your home, thinking about a possible criminal’s actions in any likely scenario. Are there places to hide, tools to aid in access, valuables to attract attention, bicycles unsecured to hasten getaway? Start out at the street or property line away from the house and gradually approach closer. Do this from each side, even from directions you think unlikely. Especially look for points of possible entrance that are concealed from view from the street or your neighbors, or similarly concealed locations near the entrance you use where a mugger or home invader could lie in wait.
While it is certainly true that many criminals like to hide in the dark, excessive or improperly aimed outdoor lights often create dark shadows to hide in. These always on lights may also annoy your neighbors, or even blind them to suspicious activity they would otherwise observe from next door. A much better choice would be a fairly dim light in front to allow emergency responders to read the house number, which should be prominently posted on your home and visible from the street. If your home is not visible from the street, make certain the house number is marked on the mailbox or a sign indicating the correct driveway. It is also helpful to emergency crews if your street is marked with a sign as well, so make sure to report any missing signs to your city or county as appropriate. The rest of your outdoor lighting is best provided by motion activated floodlights covering all sides of the home as well as any outbuildings. This will provide the extra benefit of calling your or your neighbors’ attention to any movement around your home.
In addition to being covered by motion activated lights, any sheds or similar structures where you store tools, ATV’s, farm and lawn equipment, or other valuable property, should be protected by a quality hardened padlock. Small or inexpensive padlocks are too easily defeated. At the very least you want an unauthorized person to have to use large, and obvious, bolt cutters. Make certain the lock’s hardware and hinges cannot be easily removed with a screwdriver. If the structure allows for such, pinning the hinges, as described here, would also be of benefit. A locked shed or garage is also where your ladders should be stored. No sense giving easy access to upper level windows, which are often less secure.
Bushes, trees, tall grass, and any other vegetation close to your home should be kept trimmed in such a fashion as to eliminate hiding spots. If you have decorative bushes in front of your home, either thin them to prevent hiding or grow them tightly against the home to make hiding in them difficult. A nice prickly variety would make this even less comfortable for a potential criminal. Be aware of potential hiding places throughout the entire approach to your home, including the whole driveway and walkways to each entrance.
Fences can be helpful in keeping the unwanted away from your home, though they are more effective on stray dogs and solicitors than a determined burglar. Keep in mind low fences are easily vaulted. Even so it is better to make them climb or vault your fence, so use a padlock on all gates. If someone merely opens the gate and walks through, your neighbors are likely to assume it is a meter reader or other person authorized to be there. Privacy fences, as the name implies, do provide a measure of privacy. This unfortunately applies to all persons inside the fence, allowing a criminal the leisure of making entry with little risk of observation. If you prefer the appearance of wood fencing, a nice picket fence or plank fencing with plenty of latticework will look better than chain link without blocking the view. Make sure there is nothing close to the fence that will aid in climbing, whether it is a tree or a long term parked car.
Finally, keep your valuables out of sight. Bikes, toys, ATV’s, and the like should be stored inside. Keep your cars in a locked garage if possible. Look through your windows and make certain you are unable to see big screen TVs, computers, especially laptops, jewelry, firearms, collectibles, cash, or other easily moved valuables. Don’t forget to dispose of the boxes to any recently acquired valuables in a fashion that will not alert people where that item can be found. Remove name and address from the box, and place in a common recycle bin, not the curb in front of your home.