Criminals like easy targets and usually prefer dark quiet areas. In order to deter them, home owners and tenants need to make it as difficult as possible for them to break in.

Keep yard vegetation trimmed back. Large bushes and ornamental hedges may look nice, but they provide criminals with a hiding place and give them more time to work on breaking into your property.

Dogs are an excellent deterrent because they will bark at anything that moves or makes noise. Train them to bark only at strangers (or he will drive you and your neighbors crazy) and the criminals will go somewhere else.

Outside flood lights with motion detectors work well and most criminals will avoid homes or businesses that use them

If it looks or sounds like someone is inside the property, most criminals will not even attempt a break in. Automatic timers, or Home Automation can run almost any appliance in your home. If you use timers to turn lights, stereos, etc, on and off at different times of the night, it will force the criminal to think twice. Chances are, he will move on to an easier target.

"Charlie Bars" cost about $15. They can be installed in minutes and provide excellent security for sliding glass doors. The bar conveniently swings up so that the door may be opened.

A simple $ .75 cent window lock will force a burglar to break the glass, something they do not like to do because it makes noise and they can get seriously injured.

USE YOUR LOCKS!! An unlocked door is an invitation for someone to just walk in.

Deadbolts are a MUST!
Regular (Grade 3 - residential) knob or lever locks provide little or no physical security. Quality deadbolts - installed correctly so that they actually deadlock - offer a much higher degree of security than a knob by itself. Also, most insurance companies will give a home owner a discount of as much as 20% off of their insurance premium for using deadbolts on all perimeter doors. For added security, double cylinder deadbolts (key required on both sides) should be installed in doors that have any windows in them or right next to the lock side of the door. For fire safety reasons you should always keep a key in the inside cylinder while at home, or hang it on a hook near the bottom of the door.

Yard Fences or block walls that completely surround your home are an excellent investment for those who can afford them. They offer good protection for property that is not kept inside the house or in a locked shed or garage. Current statistics have shown that many criminals are stealing items that can be easily transported and don't generally have ID tags or serial numbers on them. For maximum security, perimeter fences and walls should be at least five feet tall.

Burglar Alarms are the ultimate in home protection. They are not foolproof, but the technology has come a long way in the last few years. Other than 24 hour armed patrol, a professionally installed electronic security system is your best deterrence against a criminal break-in. Any system that you are considering to purchase should have a backup battery system (most do) and should also be hooked up to a central monitoring station for 24 hour protection.