Home Security

Burglars won't find your home an "easy mark" if they are forced to work in the light, if they have to take a lot
of time breaking in, or if they can't break in without making a lot of noise.

Research shows that if it takes more than four or five minutes to break into a home, the burglar will go
elsewhere.

Most insurance companies provide 2% to 15% discounts for devices that make a home safer -- dead-bolt
locks, window grates, bars and smoke/fire/burglar alarms.

When improving the security of your home, don't exchange security for personal safety. Don't make your
home such a fortress that you are unable to escape in case of a fire or other emergency.

Check your home for weaknesses and correct them

• Take the time to "case" your house or apartment, just as a burglar would. Where is the easiest
  entry? How can you make it more burglar-resistant?
• Trim trees and shrubs near doors and windows, and think carefully before installing a high, wooden
  fence around your back yard. High fences and shrubbery can add to your privacy, but privacy is a
  burglar's asset. Consider trading a little extra privacy for a bit of added security.
• Force any would-be burglar to confront a real enemy -- light. Exterior lights and motion detectors,
  mounted out of easy reach, can reduce the darkness a burglar finds comforting.
• Simple security devices -- nails, screws, padlocks, door and window locks, grates, bars and bolts -
  can increase the amount of time it takes to break into your home.
• Invest in a burglar alarm. The most effective ones also ring at an outside service.
• Are any of your valuables -- paintings, a silver collection or a computer -- easy to see from outside? Rearranging your furnishings might be advisable if it makes your home less inviting to criminals.

Simple security steps

• Doors
  Make sure you have strong doors. Outside doors should be metal or solid hardwood, and at least 1
  3/4 inches thick. Frames must be made of equally strong material, and each door must fit its frame
  securely. Even the most efficient lock, if it is placed in a weak door, will not keep out a determined
  burglar.
  
  A peephole or a wide-angle viewer in the door is safer for identifying visitors than a door chain.
  
  Sliding glass doors present a special problem because they are easy to open, but there are locks
  designed for them. A broomstick in the door channel can help, but cannot be depended on.
• Locks
  Deadbolt locks are best. They usually are locked with a key from the outside and a thumb turn on
  the inside. The cylinder (where the key is inserted) should be pick-resistant. Ask your hardware
  dealer for a reputable brand or buy your locks from a locksmith.
• Windows
  Key locks are available for all types of windows. Double-hung windows can be secured simply by
  "pinning" the upper and lower frames together with a nail, which can be removed from the inside.
  
  For windows at street level or on fire escapes, consider installing metal accordion gates.

Home security habits

• Establish a routine to make certain that doors and windows are locked and alarm systems are
  turned on.
• Avoid giving information to unidentified telephone callers and announcing your personal plans in
  want ads or public notices (such as giving your address when advertising items for sale).
• Notify the police if you see suspicious strangers in your area.
• Don't carry house keys on a key ring bearing your home address or leave house keys with your car
  in a commercial parking lot or with an attendant.
• Don't hide your keys in "secret" places outside your home -- burglars usually know where to look.

Vacation tips

• Leave blinds open in their usual position.
• Have mail and packages picked up, forwarded or held by the post office.
• Lower the sound of your telephone ringer and answering machine so they can't be heard outside.
• Arrange to have your lawn mowed in summer and your walk and driveway shoveled in winter.
• Stop newspaper deliveries.
• Ask a friend to pick-up "throw-away" newspapers and circulars.
• Use automatic timers to turn lights on and off in various parts of the house at appropriate times.
  Consider connecting a radio to a timer.
• Tell police and dependable neighbors when you plan to be away and join with your neighbors to
  keep a close watch on what's happening in your area -- working closely with them is a good way to
  prevent crime.

Tips provided by the Insurance Information Institute, Inc. (http://www.insurance.info )