Every man’s home is his castle and as a homeowner, you need to know how to stop burglars from targeting your home or castle. 

Burglary is amongst the worst crimes that can happen in a neighbourhood. It is an event that normally catches its victims unaware, as most people never ask themselves, what are the chances of your house being robbed? And, what can I do to make my home less attractive to robbers? 

Global statistics indicate that 2.5 million burglaries occur every year (FBI, 2018). Victims of burglary suffer psychological trauma as a result of losing their precious valuables. Many people lack knowledge and guidance on measures that can be put in place to avoid burglars targeting their homes. This article will present possible strategies on “How to stop burglars from targeting your home” and measures that can be employed to minimise the chance of burglars targeting your home.

What is burglary?

Burglary is a criminal offence of entering a building through breaking unlawfully with the intention to steal property or any valuable (Maguire, Wright, Bennet, 2010). Burglary at times does not always require physical breaking in, but sometimes burglars use open scenes to get into the building. 

Strategies to prevent burglars from targeting your home.

#1 Installing an effective home security system- 

Recent researches from several security companies have revealed that lack of an effective security system in residential areas lures burglars. 

Unsecured home is an easy target to burglars because it enables them to sneak in and out without detection. Installing an alarm system, motion detectors and closed-circuit television are effective ways of keeping thieves away from your house. 

This entails that any burglar who dares to break-in to your home will find himself/herself on the spotlight. Alarms and motion detectors instil a frightening/panic mode to burglars. Burglars are generally not comfortable to break-in houses that have alarms and motion detectors because they do not want to risk the potential of being caught. 

Properties and buildings with Circuit-closed television (CCTV) have been witnessed to be an effective way of keeping away burglars. 

Global statistics indicate that camera installed homes have 95% less likelihood of being burglarized by thieves. The availability of CCTV in your homes is a major barrier to burglars. Most of them do not want to be captured or recorded in video footages hence CCTV is one of many crime preventative tools that can be utilised to reduce burglary in neighbourhoods. 

Consistent servicing home security gadgets such as cameras, alarms and motion detectors also lessen chances of being on the spotlight with burglars. An active and serviceable security system will help you to remain alert and aware in case of any unexpected movements surrounding your home. 

Avoid showcasing valuables- 

Displaying your valuables on transparent objects is a clear advertisement to burglars within your proximity. Leaving your belongings in such places attract burglars into your home. Also, other belongings such as children toys, bicycles and garden tools should be always kept indoors after use in order to avoid any luring reason for a burglar to come closer to your property. Scattered belongings around the yard will activate burglar motives to break into your home as they will be compared with what they are seeing. Burglars will opt to break in if they think the valuables are worthy to risk for.

Evidence suggests that shovels, picks and spades that are at times left scattered at the backyard are useful tools to burglars. Such tools can be used to break into homes and assault victims if they are left exposed and unattended to. Advising your neighbours to keep such tools in lockable rooms after use is another effective way of stopping burglars from targeting your homes.

Keep your surrounding locked- make sure all your doors and windows are lockable with inside and outside burglar bars. Several investigations on burglary showed that 60% of them tend to affect homes without a serviceable key lock, poor quality locks and cheap material windows. The remaining 40% constitute burglars who use explosives on doors and windows to break in.

It is advisable to install thick lockable doors that are shock resistant, doorknob locks, deadbolts, keypad lock and high resistant windows that are not easily destroyed. Installing these facilities in your home assist you in stopping burglars to from targeting your home especially whenever you left your house. Reports have shown that burglary often occurs between 10 am and 3 pm when most of the people in the neighbourhood will be at their workplaces. However, it is important to also take into cognisant that burglary can happen at any day time. 

Neighbourhood watch 

Creating rapport with neighbours within your vicinity helps to keep burglars off your home. Neighbourhoods with good cordial relationships are reported to have a lower incidence of burglary as everyone within the vicinity carry the onus to be vigilant of mistrustful strangers.

Burglars can be stopped targeting your home by creating social media community group platforms. These social media groups can be used to communicate in case of intruders burglarise your home, raising neighbours will be easier. Burglars avoid neighbourhoods with residents who are consistently on high alert. However, you should be aware that publicising your level of income on social media will be very risky. Career burglars use social media to identify their victims, therefore keeping a low profile on social media is a smart way to avoid burglars from targeting your home. 

Employing security guards to provide security services to your house is one effective method that has been used since time immemorial. Burglars mostly avoid houses which are guarded by security guards with firearms. Fear for to suffer causalities deter burglars from targeting houses with security guards. Employing security guards ensures maximum security to our home because these guards will be on 24/7 watch.

Establish physical deterrents- 

spiky hedge, razor ripper coil wire and electrified fences are all effective strategies that can be adapted to stop burglars from targeting our homes. Though hedges sometimes act as camouflage and concealment to burglars, spiky hedges and prickly deciduous shrubs discourage comfort and deter burglars from climbing over. 

Growing thick evergreen trees should be avoided as this provides concealment and cover to burglars. Houses in thickets normally experience the highest incidence of burglary than those in less dense environments, hence trimming backyard shrubs and bushes should be always done regularly. Complying with this practice is an ideal method you can employ to reduce intruders targeting your home.

To those who live in apartments, burglars normally climb sewer and water pipes which tends to provide access to windows and roofs of your homes. Growing climbing plants with spiky thorns which can grow along these pipes will discourage burglar’s motives to break in. Also using barbed wire which will avoid burglars from climbing is an effective way to keeping away your homes from burglary.

Installing 2 meters (8-10ft) fence with a barbed or razor topping around your home is another effective way you can employ to deter burglars targeting your home. Fences with 8-10 feet heights are difficult to climb. Electrified fence topping also increase your home security and this sends a clear signal to perpetrators on dangers that they are likely to encounter if they dare to climb over. To avoid a lawsuit from the legal authorities, homeowners should ask to install electrified toppings if they are permissible in their area.

Using broken glasses as topping on fence walls deter burglars from making your home a target. Using broken glass bottles as toppings on 10 feet fence walls have been witnessed as an effective way to avoid thieves targeting many homes. Broken glasses can cause sharp deep cuts to thieves and these have been proved to be effective to unprepared burglars.  Burglars do not target homes which require a whole lot of effort to break in because this provides high opportunities of being caught. Broken glasses are simple and inexpensive and can be found locally.

Dogs on guard alert- 

investigated burglars witnessed that 70% successful burglary occasions happen in dog-free homes with only 30% happening in homes with dogs on high alert. Thieves know that dog barks waken up people and put them on high alert mode. 50% burglars that are caught in neighbourhoods have seen with dog bites, therefore, dogs are useful deterrents to burglars who might want to target your home. 

Domesticated vicious dogs help homeowners to apprehend burglars in their residential facilities. The barking of dogs makes burglars think twice about breaking in, burglars will think there are people in the house on alert.  The dog will also lure uninvited attention which does not favour burglars.

Avoid hiding keys in flower beds or outside when you are not around- make sure you keep your keys to yourself. Burglars know very well all possible key hiding places such as flower pot, flower beds and under mates. Having access to keys makes it easier for burglars to break in. Accessing keys help thieves to get into all rooms. Do not label your keys in case you might misplace them or get stolen.  This may invite trouble to your home as all clues will be exposed to them. 

Use indoor lights- 

this strategy has proved effective to many homeowners when they are absent from their homes. Installing indoor lights that are sequentially set to light on different intervals frightens burglars.  Burglars will think that the house is occupied with someone. Keeping off lights sends a luring signal to burglars that your house has no one.

A solar system should be used as a backup mechanism to sustain lights in case of electricity blackouts. A contingency plan should always be in place to ensure that timings of lights will not be interfered with.

Vacations- on vacation ensure that you delegate to monitor your home when you are absent. In order to stop burglars targeting your home, make it a habit that your home should always look like it’s occupied with someone. Studies reveal that a lack of surveillance around your homes gives more chances of burglary. 

Make sure that whenever you go for a vacation your home is well secured. It is also imperative to know that most burglars are active members of your society. Homes are much vulnerable in summers periods were most homeowners partake a vacation trip and also in winter when homeowners minimise all surround movements. 

Thus, burglars at times can study all possible movements homeowners are up to. To stop such thieves targeting your home, ensure that all your movements are ambiguous and difficult to guess on what you are up to. Keep low your personal identity by avoiding labelling your names on mailboxes. This is because burglars might research on the internet your personal details and use them against you. Keep to yourself plans of your vacation and when you leave your home notify your close neighbours to monitor unnecessary movements at your place of residence.

Know your police contacts and lobby for police patrols in your neighbourhood- neighbourhoods with limited police patrols are more vulnerable to burglary than those which experience simultaneous police patrols (UK Police, 2018). It is vital to know the location of the nearest police station and to keep police contacts in your diaries and any other storage devices in case you notice unwelcomed visitors in your neighbourhood. 

Lobbying and advocating for police patrols in your neighbourhood help provide unfavourable burglary environment. 90% of homes that were burglarized in UK 2018 were in neighbourhoods that are quiet and unprotected (Office of National Statistics, 2018). Police patrols provide a tight security scenario to burglars hence targeting your homes will not be an option.

Place warning signs at gates or around your home- in most cases burglars exercise a quick scan of any warning signs around your home. Place warn signs such as beware of dogs, neighbourhood watch, CCTV warning stickers and guard alert banners, these signs will send an unfriendly signal to burglars who might be targeting your home.

Visible warning stickers, posters and banners scare away burglars from making your home a target. Even if you do not have the dogs, cameras and security guards, making a bluff to them will frighten burglars away from your homes. These signs should be the first obstacle burglars should face before deciding to target your home.

Always be watchful- 

it is important to watch your home for yourself rather than to depend on other people in your neighbourhood. Homeowners who do not pay attention invite burglars unknowingly to their homes. Taking a 360-degree check on regular intervals, send a warning signal to burglars that your home is somehow occupied. Also, ensure that inside your house you keep close to your weapons in case of an intruder invades your home.