Thinking about your home as a potential target to burglars is an unsettling feeling. It’s quite disturbing to know that burglars often evaluate a home’s vulnerability prior to breaking in. Often times, homeowners don’t realize until it’s too late. There are a few clear signs a burglar is targeting your house; learning those and educating your family is a huge step toward having a safer home.
Work Was Recently Done On Your Home
Have you had any work done on your home recently? Proceed with caution. This could be one sign your home is being targeted. While burglars come in all different shapes and sizes, most have something in common: a job with access to the inside of your home. This could be a repair or serviceman or even a delivery person. Once inside your home, they may be investigating the lay of the land, where your valuables are located, and if you have a security system so they can come back later or tip off a co-conspirator.
What to Do: When expecting a serviceman, make sure to put away any valuables to keep them out of sight. Be sure to close doors to bedrooms and don’t leave out any important documents or calendars that might note any vacations or indication of times you will be away from home.
Stranger at Your Door
Always be weary of an unknown guest at your door. While it may seem harmless (i.e. a woman with a car issue asking to use your phone or maybe a supposed serviceman looking to use the bathroom) it is a possible subtle tactic to evaluate your home as a potential target.
What to Do: Don’t feel obligated to answer the door to anyone, especially someone without an appointment. Make use of a peephole, security camera, or simply talk to them through the door. Many burglars will pretend like they’re in danger or need help to get you to open the door. If they claim to be hurt, offer to call 911 for them. If they claim to be a serviceman, tell them to call you and set up an appointment.
Stranger Walking on your Street, Around your Home, or Strange Vehicles on your Street
Strangers aren’t always a cause for concern, but what’s the harm in being cautious? It pays off to be observant. Are they walking/driving slowly, observing houses, or showing too much interest in your home? Do you recognize the vehicle? Usually your gut is a good indicator on whether someone/something could be a possible threat.
What To Do: Don’t be afraid to take precautionary measures by calling the police and letting them know of suspicious behavior in your neighborhood. You may be wondering, “How will I know if this is happening in my neighborhood or around my home if I’m not home at the time?” A great option would be installing motion-activated security cameras. These are able to record any motion near your home and can even send email or text notifications with a video clip when any motion is detected.
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