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Do you want to know how to stop burglars from targeting your home? One fear that many people have is of a home invasion.
Your home is supposed to be a safe space, so few things are as scary as the idea of someone breaking in and causing harm to you and the ones you love.
It can be really scary to think about waking up to a boot against the door or a person hovering over your bed. Maybe it’s even just the crash and bang downstairs that wakes you out of a deep sleep. What do you do?
First, it’s important to have an emergency plan in place before you actually need it. Just like the fire emergency plan you should have in your home, you also also need a plan for a home invasion. Do your kids know what to do?
All family members who live in the home should know what to do in the event of a home invasion. When you have a plan in place, it will be much easier for people to go with the flow if a home invasion actually occurs. Remember, it’s all about being prepared first.
Now, let’s look first at some things you shouldn’t do in a home invasion. It’s going to be easy to get scared, angry, or caught up in the moment, so review these things first.
5 Things You Should Never Do During a Home Invasion
It’s one thing to know how to prepare for and prevent a home invasion. It’s another thing to know how to behave when it’s actually taking place. How you react could mean the difference in life and death.
Here are things you should never do in a home invasion:
Don’t Be Stupid
It’s easier said than done sometimes, but don’t be naive. Don’t assume it will never happen to you.
Don’t Be Inactive
If someone breaks into your home, you can assume from there that they are up to no good. Don’t sit around passively and wait to see how far they are going to take it. You need to act, but act smartly.
Don’t Underestimate the Burglars
Some people get the idea from movies and TV that home invaders are just bumbling fools looking for a quick score. Don’t underestimate the potential threat.
Don’t Overestimate Yourself
Don’t get caught up in your own abilities and think you are invincible. Know your limitations and stay alive.
Don’t Forget to Call for Help
While you’re busy working on protecting your home, don’t forget to call in the cavalry. The police are your backup and you should have them on the way to help as soon as possible. Keep emergency response on the line until they get there.
If you know how to stop burglars from targeting your home, you can try to avoid all of this from the start. Do you know how to scare burglars away?
How to Stop Burglars from Targeting Your Home
Something to think about in the event of a home invasion is how you could potentially scare burglars away.
If they’re already in your home, you might be able to scare burglars away with cameras, lights that automatically turn on, a large, loud dog, or a security alarm system.
However, if you know how to stop burglars from targeting your home in the first place, you can avoid this stress and fear.
Often, would-be burglars will run away because it’s just not worth the risk of getting caught. These things can deter them in the moment. But what can you do to prevent them from looking for your house as a target in the first place?
- Don’t advertise big purchases on social media.
- Don’t advertise that you’re going on vacation on social media.
- Don’t try to hide your keys or spare keys around the house. They already know all the spots.
- Get a guard dog. Or pretend you have a dog (audio of a dog barking or leaving a water dish outside can be enough).
- Have an inspection. Sometimes the police or security companies will inspect your home to see if it makes a good target for thieves and burglars.
- Know your neighbors. Community Watch programs are some of the best ways to deter break-ins in neighborhoods. Thieves stay away from communities they know are watchdogs.
To understand how this works, it helps to know how burglars case a house to begin with.
How Do Burglars Case a House?
If you know how burglars case a house, it can help you create a house that is less likely to be burglarized. There are certain things they will look for to help them know if a house is worth the time.
Some of the things they will look for are wealthy or middle-class neighborhoods with nice, well-kept homes that look like they may have items of value. They will also check your house and your neighborhood to see what times people leave for work.
They want to find homes that are easier to get into as well. The idea is to be in and out as quickly as possible without being noticed. They will look for homes with a design that makes entry easier.
If you have windows by your front door, for example, they can smash the window, reach a hand through, and unlock the door.
Deadbolt locks are also a simple, but effective, extra deterrent. Make sure you have them on all the main entry doors to the home.
They will look for homes with no security, no dogs, and that do not have someone home all day. Again, the idea is to not get caught so if they think someone is home, they are more likely to pick a different home.
Sometimes they will even dress up like utility operators or someone else official and try to gain entry to your home, or just come to your door and ask you questions in order to help them find the place.
This is how they get information about who lives in the home and whether or not you have pets, and they can even get a good look at the door and entryway.
Door Armor
It makes a lot of sense to fortify the entry points into your home. More than 80% of all break-ins are through a door.
Therefore, installing home invasion prevention products that stop forced entry through your doors is critical to deterring burglars.
Do you think you’re safe with just a deadbolt on your doors? They are better than nothing, but they won’t stop a determined thief.
Door Armor reinforces the weakest points of a door and door frame and makes it next to impossible for a thief to get in through the door.
It will take a thief less than 10 seconds to kick in a standard door with a deadbolt. Get protection for your door.
Home Invasion Defense Tactics
If you want to be fully prepared for a potential home invasion, you need to learn some home invasion defense tactics. Take a self-defense class or learn some basic hand-to-hand combat techniques.
Use one of the oldest techniques in the book and leave a light on at night in the house. This gives the impression that someone is still awake and alert at home. It also means that if someone does come in anyway, you have more light to see them.
You can also build or buy your own safe room for your home. It doesn’t have to be the most sophisticated safe room in the world. It just needs to be enough to keep you and your family safe in the event of a home invasion.
Now that you have all of this information on how to stop burglars from targeting your home, are you ready to look over your own house and make sure it’s safe?
What do you need to change? Do you have a home invasion plan you can practice with your family?