Did you know that a burglary occurs every 16 seconds in the United States? This alarming statistic may make you feel very unsafe. While most burglaries occur while nobody is home, it is scary to realize that home invasion is on the rise. The poor economy may be to blame for the rise in burglaries and home invasions. There are many things you can do to help keep your home from being the target of a home invasion. These home security tips will help you make your home the secure haven it should be.

• Most burglars watch the home and neighborhood before committing a home invasion. They look for patterns of when you are home and away, which doors you use and what looks like the best point of entry.

• Many burglaries occur at night. Burglars like to work in the dark. To minimize the chances that your home will be chosen for a burglary or home invasion, keep the outside of your home well lit. Use landscape lights around the perimeter of the home and install motion sensor security lights near the doors.

• Burglars look for homes that follow consistent patterns. If they watch your home and notice that you come and go at the same times each day, you may find that the burglar uses this information to find a window of opportunity to commit a burglary. The best thing to do to prevent a home invasion? If you must come and go at regular times, it is best to use a timer for your lights. Use one in each room and randomly turn on and off lights in the home.

• Have a dog. Most burglars steer away from homes with dogs since these can be unpredictable. This isn’t foolproof – especially if your dog is a little one or is very friendly. It’s also not unheard of for pets to be harmed during a burglary.

• To prevent home invasion, keep your doors and windows secure. Burglars look for potential areas that they can get into and out of the home. Make sure that you check your basement or attic windows as well and keep all doors and windows locked and latched. Don’t store ladders outside next to your home – the burglar can easily use it to enter an upper window.

• Install a home security system. A good home security system is among the top home security tips and is probably the best deterrent you can use against a home invasion or burglary. Be sure to use the alarm system consistently. Post a sign or sticker to put burglars on notice that you have an alarm system.

• Keep your home looking occupied to prevent home invasion. This is especially true when you go on vacation. Nothing says, “We’re not home” like a pile of unopened newspapers laying on the porch or driveway. Instead, get a friend or neighbor to take in your mail and newspapers when you’re gone or stop delivery until you return.

• Most burglars become familiar with the area or neighborhood they are going to invade. Start a neighborhood watch program to keep all neighbors aware of any suspicious vehicles or people who don’t live on your street. Call the police when you see anything out of the ordinary.

Theft protection can easily be split into three main categories: personal property, credit card theft and identity theft. Yet these different types of theft often overlap, with personal property theft leading to identity theft or some other unfortunate combination. By learning about the latest in theft protection measures, you can arm yourself against any and all types of burglary.

Home security is a likely place to start. You can begin with the basics like installing high-quality dead bolts and sturdy exterior doors. Arguably, the most effective method of home theft protection is purchasing a monitored home security system. Statistics show that homes without professionally installed home alarm systems are 2 to 3 times more likely to be burglarized. Combining basic home security measures with a monitored alarm provides a level of theft protection you can feel comfortable about.

People often forget about their cars when discussing security. Having an anti-theft protection alarm or tracking device installed in your car will make the vehicle less appealing to most burglars. But having your car stolen isn’t the only issue here; many people leave personal belongings, such as paperwork, wallets or purses, and even garage door openers, inside their cars. If your car is not in a secured garage, be certain to empty it of anything of value, along with any items that could make home invasion, credit card theft or identity theft easier for the perpetrator.

If, despite such theft protection measures, a burglar still manages to enter your home, you can keep critical valuables, emergency credit cards,  and personal documentation secure with a high-quality, fire-proof safe.  If you only have a few key items to safeguard, a standard safety deposit box at your local bank provides a convenient way to keep your personal information out of the wrong hands. And shredding any unnecessary documents, including old credit cards, is another important step with regards to identity theft protection.

While these preceding steps are likely to provide solid theft protection concerning your personal property, credit cards and identity theft require even more diligence. You’ve likely heard the phrase ‘a pound of prevention is worth a pound of cure,’ and that is certainly the case here. Credit card theft and identity theft will be far easier to rectify if you have taken proactive measures first.

Contact your credit card companies to determine what kind of credit card protection they have available to you. You can also find out if these companies offer an identity theft protection service as well. Credit report agencies offer this service, and while you are signing up for identity theft protection, you can also grab a free copy of your credit report and look for any discrepancies. Having a reputable agency on your side that is continuously watching for suspect activity will make it easier to catch any problems before they snowball into full blown identity theft.

Unfortunately, there are many angles from which a thief can strike. Yet, we live in a time where there are also many devices, procedures, and services capable of providing you with protection. When used in combination, these available options will help you create a theft protection plan that gives you the security you deserve.

Keep Burglars at Bay and Away

There is a home robbery in this country every 15 seconds. Thankfully, there are several simple steps you can take both inside and outside your home to provide you with some sound burglary protection. The following 10 steps will make a robber think twice before attempting anything on your property.

1. Illuminate your exterior doorways at night. By keeping your entryways bright, it makes it difficult for anyone to sneak in undetected. Lights with motion detectors are a plus with regards to burglar protection. The light stays off until the would-be robber’s movement triggers it to come on, likely startling the robber and drawing more attention to your door.

2. Install reliable locks and, well, lock your doors. Sounds too simple, but over 30 percent of home invasions show no sign of forced entry. Exterior doors, along with any door leading into the garage, should have a high quality, dead-bolt lock. Doors that are close to windows will require a special double-bolt cylinder lock for extreme burglary protection. This lock requires a key to unlock the door from both the outside and the inside, so no one can break the glass and reach inside to unlock your door.

3. Landscape for safety as well as beauty. A well-placed prickly bush under your windows makes your home far less inviting. At the same time, watch for oversized trees and shrubs that create hiding places or climbing opportunities.

4. Purchase a home alarm system. According to a study conducted by Temple University, a monitored home security system can provide up to 66 percent greater burglar protection over a home without such a system.

5. Putting your lights and electronics on a random timer also offers additional burglary protection. And this tip isn’t just good for vacations; if you work outside of the home, it is likely that the burglar has watched you come and go regularly. Have your lights, radio and television turn on and off at a variety of times to give outsiders the impression that someone is still in the house.

6. Solid wood or steel doors provide burglar protection by creating a nearly impenetrable barrier to your home. Many older exterior doors are thin or even hollow, making forced entry as simple as a few key strikes.

7. Keep the blinds and curtains closed. Open blinds allows people to window shop your home for valuables. By keeping the contents of your home a mystery, you are more likely to be passed over should a burglar enter the neighborhood—the best burglar protection of all.

8. Skip the key-hidden-inside-a-fake-rock-trick. Trust me, if I know about this trick, so does everyone else. The same thing goes for hiding keys under a doormat or over the doorframe. You are better off giving a spare key to a nearby family member and dealing with the laughter when they come to let you in to your own home.

9. Take your name off the mailbox and don’t hang up any plaques outside displaying your name. By using your last name, a robber can find your phone number and then call to make sure no one is at home.

10.  Stash that trash! You’ve gone to the trouble of taking the name off your mailbox, so don’t leave junk mail flowing out of your recycle bin either. And, take the time to cut up that computer box or anything else that might clue people in to what new goodies you have at home. Again, one of the best burglar protection methods is making the contents of your home unknown.

The bottom line: Don’t make it easy for someone to take what is yours. A little bit of effort, mixed with a lot of common sense, can be all it takes to give your home the burglary protection it needs.