Home Security Check - 10 Simple Steps to Securing Your Exterior Property - Securing Your Residential Property from Break and Enter (B&E) and Burglary

Most Residential Break and Enters (B & E) are crimes of opportunity. They occur because homeowners provide the opportunity and there are individuals (criminal elements) willing to take advantage of the situation. Police and Community Policing efforts continue to empower communities to collectively develop partnerships aimed at delivering meaningful crime prevention and community safety initiatives like Neighborhood Watch.

The 3 major deterrents to most crimes targeting residential property include:
1) reducing opportunity
2) increasing the difficulty to perpetrate a crime of theft, burglary or intrusion
3) increasing the time required for an intruder to perpetrate the crime

all of which will increase the offenders rick of being observed and reported to police. A collective cooperation of a community and neighborhood, like the Neighborhood Watch program, does discourage local crime and drives them to go elsewhere. The real objective is “crime displacement” not “crime reduction” - Go somewhere else, but Not Here.

Residential B&E offenders are usually not sophisticated criminals. They look for the easiest target possible like unlocked windows (basement or first floor), unlocked front door and lifting patio doors out of their tracks. They could also perform simple forceful entry through doors or windows. Daytime (0900 to 1700 hours), when no one is at home, is the most common time for Residential Break and Enter crimes.

Here are 10 simple ways to Target Harden your property's Exterior Grounds and Locks, which are your first line of defense against intruders:

1) Trees and shrubs near any windows (front, back yard or sides) - ensure trees and shrubs cannot conceal a potential intruder and allow the offender to work unnoticed on doors or windows. Cut back trees and trim shrubs low from the top and trim them up from the ground. Remove them if they can conceal a person. (increase the rick of being observed)

2) Sheds or any other out buildings - ensure no one can hide behind sheds or other buildings. (increase the rick of being observed)

3) Hedge, Perimeter Bushes or Fence - does their height, density or privacy allow for offender concealment. Again allowing offenders to work unobserved on rear windows and doors. Lock gates forcing the offender to scale over the fence. (increase the difficulty and the time)

4) Motion Detectors and Lights - use motion detectors on lighting so that when the lights come on the neighbors know something or someone is moving around your house. A motion detector could be applied to trigger a radio show to play inside the house, just like a similar application in the movie Ferris Beuller's Day Off. Make it look like someone could be at home. (reduce the opportunity and increase the rick of being observed)

5) Timers and Day/Night Timers - Light up your garden, pathways, sidewalks and your property with low voltage and LED lighting. These are beautiful landscaping touches to your property as well.(increase the rick of being observed)

6) Barking dog - A dog inside your house that barks on the slightest motion or noise outside your house is a great opportunity reducer. A big barking dog is even better. Some police feel a barking dog is more effective than an burglar alarm system. As a simple alternative, a radio set on a talk channel will make it appear like the house is occupied. The offender will hear conversation coming from inside the dwelling. (reduce the opportunity and increase the rick of being observed)

7) Ladders - Remove all climbable objects like ladders, trellises, BBQ, picnic table, trees close to the house. These could be used to gain access to second floor windows and balconies. Remove, lock-up, cut down as necessary. (increase the difficulty and the time)

8) Telephone and Cable - shield and protect so they cannot be cut from outside your house. Monitored alarm systems typically require the use of the telephone or cable connection. (reduce the opportunity)

9) Parking and Garage – ensure your parking area and garage door(s) are visible to the street. Keep your garage door(s) closed when you are not in the front yard and lock your vehicles. Don't make it easy for an offender to just walk into your garage and steal what they want. (reduce the opportunity)

10) Locks - good locks (and chains where appropriate) on your shed, gate, BBQ and picnic table. Ensure nothing can get moved. Locks on your doors and windows will receive more detailed discussion under a separate article on securing your Interior Property. (reduce the opportunity and increase the difficulty)

Your home and property are both your castle and your fortress. Be smart and keep your home safe for your family and friends. With some common sense and the help of your local hardware store, you can keep the good inside and clearly let the bad guys know, “Go Somewhere Else”!





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Home Security Check - 10 Simple Steps to Securing Your Exterior Property - Securing Your Residential Property from Break and Enter (B&E) and Burglary