Burglarize Yourself!

Here are some general coomon sense ideas to keep your home safe:

•  Plan to "burglarize" yourself. You'll discover any weaknesses in your security system that may have previously escaped your notice.
•   Lock up your home, even if you go out only for a short time. Many burglars just walk in through an unlocked door or window.
•  Change all the locks and tumblers when you move into a new house.
•  For the most effective alarm system, conceal all wiring. A professional burglar looks for places where he or she can disconnect the security system.
•  Your house should appear occupied at all times. Use timers to switch lights and radios on and off when you're not at home.
•   If you have a faulty alarm that frequently goes off, get it fixed immediately and tell your neighbors that it's been repaired. Many people ignore an alarm that goes off periodically.
•  A spring-latch lock is easy prey for burglars who are "loiding" experts. Loiding is the method of slipping a plastic credit card against the latch tongue to depress it and unlock the door. A deadbolt defies any such attack. It is only vulnerable when there is enough space between the door and its frame to allow an intruder to use power tools or a hacksaw.
•  If you lose your keys, change the locks immediately.
•  Before turning your house key over to a professional house cleaner for several hours, make sure the person is honest and reputable as well as hardworking. Check all references thoroughly. If the house cleaner is from a firm, call your local Better Business Bureau to check on the firm's reputation.
•  Instead of keeping a spare key in a mailbox, under the doormat, or on a nail behind the garage, wrap the key in foil -- or put it in a 35mm film can -- and bury it where you can easily find it if you need it.
•  Don't leave notes for service people or family members on the door. These act as a welcome mat for a burglar.
•  If the entrances to your home are dark, consider installing lighting with an infrared detector. Most thieves don't want to be observed trying to get in a door.
•   Talk to your neighbors about any suspicious people or strange cars you notice lurking about.
•  To keep your tools from being stolen, paint the handles. Thieves avoid items that are easy to identify.

Courtesy How Stuff Works