What types of homes do criminals target? There are several factors that you should be aware of.
Criminal Locations
Your home’s location has a big impact on whether or not you may become a target. If you live near individuals who are common offenders, you may be more likely to become a victim.
While this seems like a no-brainer, many people do not realize that they are living near one. If you don’t talk to your neighbors, or you don’t pay attention to what is going on around you, then how are you to know?
For one thing, start talking to your neighbors and get to know those around you.
Contact your local Sheriff’s Office and ask them where their high-risk areas are and what the crime rate in your area is.
Places that have a large number of youth and drug-related problems can also serve as a warning sign.
If you live in an area of high traffic, where strangers and travelers are a common thing, then you may also be at higher risk. Criminals can get away more with what they’ve done as the majority of the people around them would not know who they are or even if they belonged in the area. This makes it harder to pinpoint a crime because no one knows who owns what since there are so many people going in and out.
Dead End Homes
If your home is distanced a bit away from other homes, such as a dead end, or on the outskirts of town, you may also be at more of a risk. Criminals will probably pick your home out as easier to get away with targetting than homes closer together.
Also, be aware that if your home is on the corner. It is easier to drive by slower or turn around near your home. Thus allowing the criminal to scope out your home without being noticed.
A History
If your home or a home near you has been burglarized before, and they got away with it, chances are that they will be coming back. Most criminals are creatures of habit. If they find an area that was successful, they may consider it a good place to return to by either targeting the same home or one near it.
Concealment
If a criminal has more places to hide near your home, it may look more appealing. For example, lots of greenery or a privacy fence. Having a dog in your yard will serve as a good deterrent.
At Work
Most break-ins occur during the day while the homeowner is away. If you are gone on a regular basis and it is easy to pick out your routine, your home may become a target. Installing some sort of alarm system can help prevent this issue. It doesn’t have to be fancy, a low-cost wireless trigger can do wonders. You can set the alarm to go off when the door or window is opened. The alarm is designed to be super loud. Not only will it likely scare away the perpetrator, but it may alert your neighbors that something is wrong as well.
If you broadcast on social media when you are going on vacation or when you may be away from your home, it tells all the world that your house is empty and an easy target. Be careful what you share online.
Solution
Basically, no one is invulnerable. It is important to stay aware of your surroundings and take the proper steps to prevent from being targeted. Simply staying alert and getting to know your neighbors can help tremendously. Work together, make an agreement to watch out for each other’s property. If you trust your neighbors, let them know when you may be away from home so that they can call you if they notice anything unusual near or on your home.
Furthermore, you can enlist the aid of a guard dog or a protection canine to help you defend your family and your home. Click here if you’d like to learn how they’re not as big of a liability as most people think.
If you’d like to learn more about defending your home against an invasion you can enroll in my House of Pain eCourse. In it, I will teach you how to fortify your home against an attack and how to protect what’s yours even if you are at a physical disadvantage.
What do you do to deter criminals? Reply in a comment below and share it with us.
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