Home burglaries have decreased by a significant number, and it’s safe to say that this applies to most societies worldwide. It’s just more difficult to rob homes now that they’re often occupied, and curfews are in place. The unfortunate news is that this challenge hasn’t deterred persistent burglars. In fact, it only forced them to be more creative in plotting their crime, and because you’ve likely let your guard down, that means you’re more vulnerable to their new tricks.
Beating them at their own game starts by educating yourself of these new strategies. From there, you can make informed decisions and changes that will keep your property theft-proof and reduce the risks to your family, pets, and valuables.
Ensuring Nobody’s Home
Burglars became more meticulous in profiling their target homes and families. One way they guarantee their success is to ensure that a house is not occupied, preferably for quite some time. With relaxed health protocols being implemented and businesses resuming, their efforts may be less conspicuous to many.
A popular technique they employ is putting masking tape over the keyhole of front doors. You may come home to find one and remove it without giving it another thought. However, for burglars, seeing that it’s come undone is a confirmation that the home may be off-limits for now. If they return to a house and see that the tape is still there, they’ll begin to plan their entry.
The same is used on doorbells to see if anyone will answer the door. In case you’ve experienced this and shrugged it off as a neighborhood prank, don’t go into panic mode just yet. Your house has been profiled, and while you’re not aware of any attempts made, the best response is to take preventive action. Canvas your area for home alarm systems service that can help you address these trends and discourage any attempt on your home. A house with a security system is more difficult to break into, and burglars will rather opt for quiet theft in another property that’s not protected.
A less noticeable method is delivering leaflets to your mail or piling them on your threshold. The danger of this is that there are homeowners who do not discard these things ASAP. Their build-up in your mailbox or front porch can signal burglars that the house is unoccupied, and you might find yourself confronted with one at midday or nighttime. Apart from improving your house’s security with gadgets and a reliable vendor, it pays to be conscious of your surroundings. If you’re working from home, monitor your front door with a security camera to check for suspicious activity from anyone delivering mails or leaflets.
Are you going on a business trip or a vacation? Have a trusted neighbor or nearby friend take your mail and remove papers from your property. You can also give them a key to house-sit so that burglars will know someone’s always home.
Making Distractions
The sky is the limit for one’s creativity, and this doesn’t exclude burglars. Some of them don’t need you gone to do their crime. In fact, those posing as medical professionals offering free consultations, tests, and vaccines need you to let them into your home before making their true intentions known. Having a camera and an intercom at your gate or front door is a good solution to prevent sudden break-ins. You can confirm their identity this way and request to see their identification for proof that they’re operating legitimately. In case you still don’t feel safe, don’t allow them to enter your property. Ask for a number they can call or a website they can refer to. Alert your neighbor and ask if there are people offering health services door-to-door in your neighborhood.
Any legitimate party won’t retreat when you take measures to validate their business. Criminals, however, will not see the point of pushing through when you start calling numbers and alerting your neighbors.
Avoid talking to them in-person by opening your door even a little or stepping out of your house altogether. It’s easy to point a weapon at someone in proximity without anybody faraway noticing. You’ll want your entire family, especially the kids, to be aware of this so that you won’t live through the nightmare of having a criminal in your home.
Be on Guard
Stay aware of the latest burglary trends by tuning into your local news and communicating with your neighbors. Talk about suspicious people, noises, and incidents so that you’re all alert and can address this as a community. Above all, invest in home security tools and find ways to prevent forced entry. It’s by being on guard that you can better protect your property and your family at all times.
