What to Do When a Burglar Enters Your Home

In the craziness of daily life, it is often easy to lose track of whether or not you are doing enough to protect your family, yourself, and your belongings in the event of a burglary.

The easiest course of action is to protect your home with a security system; one is the ADT security system. However, knowing other methods of protecting your home as well as knowing what to do if you find that a burglar has entered your home could potentially save lives as well as property. One of the most obvious ways to protect your valuables, like jewelry, is by keeping them in a jewelry safe and keeping that safe in a hidden or disguised location. Below, are some other ways to keep your precious home safe.

Methods to Protect Your Home From Theft

The best way to keep your home safe from theft is to take the initiative with preventive measures. Following just a few of these suggestions will add extra layers of protection to hour home. Keep in mind that most burglars are not criminal masterminds and are seeking out the easiest targets.

Be neighborly. Getting to know your neighbors will help them to have a vested interest in you, and thus also your home and your belongings. You can count on one another to keep an eye on each other's property. Better yet, join or start a local neighborhood watch. Being proactive will go a long way in deterring would be burglars.

Leave the porch light on. Whether you are home or not, keeping your property lit will make it that much harder to target. Consider installing floodlights or motion activated lights near any entrances to your home.

Noise patrol. Many experts believe that noise is a good deterrent to preventing burglaries. Keeping a television or radio on when you are gone, even during the day, will make burglars believe that someone is home.

Newspapers and mail. First, let trusted neighbors know when you are going to be out of town and for how long you will be gone. They can report any suspicious behavior to the police immediately. Equally important is to ensure that there is no mail or newspapers piling up outside. You can put a hold on your mail for the length of time you will be away easily by going to the post office or by visiting their website. Also, make sure to call the newspaper's subscription service and have that put on hold as well.

Invite the police over. Most local police departments are happy to send over an officer for a free safety check. They will let you know if there are any areas that you can improve on.

Install a security system. Take steps to further protect your home and install a security system. The sign in the front yard alone will go a long way in keeping your home safe. Ask your security company if they have loud alarms for when a break-in occurs. The sound will drive away any would be thieves.

What to Do if You Do Have a Break-In

Leave the lights off. You don't want to diminish your night vision. Plus, in the dark you have the upper hand since you know your home better than the burglar.

Hit the panic button. Keep your car keys handy when you retire for the night. If you hear someone unauthorized enter your home, immediately push the panic button. The car alarm's noise should scare the perpetrator away.

Dial 911 immediately. Keep a phone by your bed as well. You don't want to have to fumble in your purse for your cell, or worse yet, have to move to another room in search of a phone.