It’s a scary thought that less than 15% of burglars are caught after they’ve committed the crime, and that’s simply because we don’t do enough to discourage criminals from stealing in the first place. We do everything we can to protect our families and the belongings we’ve worked so hard for, but we all encourage thieves without knowing it or simply because we can’t do anything about it.
The fact is, criminals don’t just target any home, they only target homes they know they’ve got a good chance of stealing possessions from and then getting away with it after. Wherever you live, and whatever security you’ve implemented, have a look at four of the reasons below why your home may still be a target for burglars.
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You Live in a Low Traffic Area
Common thieves will always target homes that live in low traffic areas because the chance of burgling a home when caught in front of someone’s headlights is slim. In high traffic areas, criminals are put off by any vehicles approaching the home.
To a criminal, the driver could be a police officer, a person that lives in the home they’re trying to burgle, or even a worried neighbor that’s seen them lurking in the distance. Low traffic areas always provide burglars with an instant advantage and even though you can’t do anything about that, it just means you need to be extra careful and secure your house even further.
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Access to Your Property is Easy
We’re not talking about your front door not being strong enough to prevent access to your home, nor are we talking about your windows providing easy access because you don’t have metal bars over them, we’re talking about the surroundings of your home not doing enough to prevent burglary. Homeowners don’t think about buying locks for their front gate at night or buying outdoor lights that only turn on when they sense motion, and that is usually why a lot of burglars will have easy access to your property.
If a criminal can’t access your garden because of a locked gate or they get frightened off by the motion lights that turn on as they’re creeping up your path, they can’t access your property. Once they’re at your front or back door or have access to a window, they’ll essentially get into your property using any means necessary.
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You’re Socially Active
Another scary thought as a homeowner is that most burglaries are committed by criminals that homeowners know, and that could well make homeowners think twice when they post on social media to tell their friends they’re on holiday. You may have a friend on Facebook who’s going through a financial crisis and they’ll do anything to get out of it – you just never know who you can trust these days. It’s nice to brag and let people know you’re living it up in Las Vegas for a long weekend, but you should only do that if you have someone watching your house and can trust your contacts on social media.
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You Live in a Non-Urban Area
Even though crime rates are high in urban areas, you’ll find that rural locations are prime targets for burglars. They know homeowners in rural locations leave expensive equipment out at night and they also know police officers don’t patrol these areas as regularly, giving them an easy chance to steal and get away without anyone knowing anything until the day after.
In some cases, there’s nothing you can do other that implement a good security system in your home such as the one SimpliSafe offers. Securing your home with a security system is the minimum you should do, however. You should also make sure your garden is secure and that there’s no easy access to your property.
