Tips to Prevent Home Burglaries in Georgia

 

Tips to Prevent Home Burglaries in Georgia

Having your home broken into can be a scary, violating experience. As a homeowner in Georgia, it’s important to take steps to secure your property and deter potential burglars. Here are some tips to help prevent burglaries and keep your home safe:

Lock All Entry Points

This may seem obvious, but it’s one of the most commonly overlooked things people do. Always double check that all your doors and windows are locked before leaving the house. Many burglars say they don’t even need to force entry because so many homes have unlocked doors or windows. Get into the habit of checking them all, including garage doors, patio doors, and any entry points that lead from the garage into the home. Install deadbolts on exterior doors for better security.

Invest in a Security System

Getting an alarm system with motion sensors and cameras can be a great deterrent for burglars. Most will avoid homes that have visible security systems and signs. Make sure your system is monitored so that authorities are notified if it’s triggered. Having cameras provides video evidence if a break-in does occur. There are many affordable DIY security systems available today that are easy to install.

Improve Outdoor Lighting

Burglars prefer to operate under the cover of darkness. Installing motion sensor lights around the exterior of your home helps eliminate blind spots and deters them from approaching. Point lights at all entry points and keep your yard well-lit at night. Trimming overgrown trees and bushes also reduces hiding spots. You can set lights on timers when away.

Keep Valuables Out of Sight

Burglars are looking for small, expensive items like jewelry, cash, and electronics that are easy to take and re-sell. Keep valuables in less obvious places, not dresser drawers or nightstands. An out-of-sight, anchored safe is best for protecting your most precious belongings. Also keep window curtains closed so burglars can’t see inside.

Make Your Home Look Occupied

When going out of town, use light timers to make it look like someone is home. Have mail and packages picked up promptly. Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway occasionally and take your trash bins out on pickup day. Avoid posting vacation plans on social media that advertise you’ll be away.

Get a Dog

Man’s best friend also happens to be a pretty good deterrent for burglars! Most will think twice about breaking into a home where they hear barking. Large, intimidating breeds are especially effective, but even little dogs still make noise. If you don’t have space for a dog, you can place “Beware of Dog” signs around your property.

Install a Safe Room

In a worst case scenario, having a safe room provides an extra layer of protection if an intruder does gain entry. Safe rooms have reinforced doors and locks that allow you to retreat and call for help. They can buy precious time for authorities to arrive while keeping your family secure inside.

Create Natural Barriers

Your landscaping can be used strategically to make it harder for burglars to access your home. Thorny bushes below windows prevent easy entry. Gravel pathways also create noise when walked on. Trimming overgrown trees eliminates places to hide. Fences, particularly tall privacy fences, clearly define property lines.

Join a Neighborhood Watch

Getting to know your neighbors and looking out for each other’s homes helps create a safer community. Share each other’s contact info and let neighbors know when you’ll be away. Report any suspicious activity you observe. Also consider sharing security camera access so you can keep an eye on each other’s property.

Display Security Signs

Signs indicating your home is protected by a security system or dog can make burglars think twice before targeting you. Even if you don’t actually have these things, the signs alone may be enough to deter them from chancing it. Place signs prominently near entry points and on gates.

Secure Windows and Sliding Doors

These entry points are often more vulnerable than regular doors. Install strong locks on all windows, or replace old windows with reinforced ones. Place dowels or pins in sliding door tracks so they can’t be forced open. Make sure glass doors have deadbolts, not just flimsy locks in the handle.

Ask For a Security Assessment

Your local police department may provide home security assessments upon request. An officer can walk through your property and point out weak spots that could be exploited by burglars. They can offer tailored recommendations to better protect your unique home layout.

Consider Smart Home Technology

Smart home systems take home security to the next level. With connected devices like video doorbells, smart locks, and sensors, you can monitor your home remotely from your phone. Get alerts if doors or windows are opened while you’re away. Voice assistants let you control features with commands.

Engrave Valuables

Engraving electronics, appliances, bicycles, and other valuables with your driver’s license number helps identify them if they’re stolen. Police can use this to return items to you and prosecute thieves attempting to pawn them. Photographing valuables also provides proof of ownership.

Trim Landscaping

Overgrown bushes, trees, and shrubs give burglars a place to hide while scoping out your home. Trim anything near doors or windows to eliminate blind spots. If planting new landscaping, opt for thorny bushes below windows instead of something a burglar can easily hide behind.

Ask For Mail Pickup

When going on vacation, ask a neighbor or the post office to hold your mail and packages until you return. An overflowing mailbox is a telltale sign no one is home. For longer trips, you can stop delivery temporarily. Don’t leave deliveries unattended for days.

Install Exterior Lighting

Illuminating the exterior of your home at night leaves fewer shadows for burglars to hide in. Place lights by every door at minimum, as well as by garage doors and along walkways. Go for bright, energy efficient LED lighting. Motion activated lights are especially effective.

Keep Tools Locked Away

Don’t leave ladders, tools, or anything else lying around that could help a burglar gain entry. Keep garage doors closed when not in use so no one can access these items. Removing possible break-in aids makes your home less enticing to target.

Know Georgia Burglary Laws

Under Georgia law, burglary is defined as illegally entering a building or home with the intent to commit a theft or felony once inside. First degree burglary is punishable by 1 to 20 years in prison. Second degree burglary carries a sentence of 1 to 5 years. Knowing penalties if caught may further deter would-be burglars.

Close Garage Doors

An open garage provides easy access into your home, making it a prime target for burglars. Get in the habit of always closing the garage door when not in use, even if you’re just running inside for a minute. Also close the door leading from the garage into the home.

Set Up a Monitored Alarm

Alarm systems are effective burglary deterrents, especially if professionally monitored. Look for systems equipped with 24/7 monitoring, immediate notification to authorities, cellular backup in case phone lines are cut, and live video streaming. Make warning signs obvious so burglars know your home is alarmed.

Add More Secure Door Locks

Most standard doorknobs with simple locks are easy for burglars to compromise. Upgrade to reinforced deadbolts, jimmy-proof locks, and strike plates with long screws securing the frame. Install bump-resistant locks on exterior doors. For sliding doors, place security bars or pins in the track.

Create a Home Inventory

Keep a detailed inventory of all your home’s contents, including photos, descriptions, and serial numbers. Store this inventory outside the home or encrypt it digitally. Update it regularly. This provides proof of ownership if items are stolen to help recover or replace them.

Get to Know Your Neighbors

Having trusted neighbors who look out for your home while you’re away is a simple but effective deterrent. Exchange contact info so you can notify each other of suspicious activity. Offer to keep an eye on their place too. Watching each other’s homes promotes community safety.

Remove Hiding Spots

Burglars look for places they can hide while casing your home, like overgrown landscaping. Trim bushes back from doors and windows while pruning low tree branches. Clear out piles of debris and mow tall grass. Eliminate places a burglar could lurk unseen before making their move.

Install a Driveway Alarm

Driveway alarms alert you to vehicles entering your property via a motion sensor. They can be set up to trigger lights, sirens, or send an alert to your phone. Burglars want to avoid detection, so chances are they’ll turn around once the alarm goes off before even reaching your home.

Leave a TV or Radio On

Making some ambient noise in your home gives the impression that someone is home. Put a radio or television on a timer so it turns on automatically at certain times. Vary the schedule so it’s not predictable. Burglars don’t want to break in when someone is there.

Install Window Bars

For ground floor windows, installing window bars provides an extra layer of security. They physically prevent windows from being opened or smashed from the outside. Just be sure to use quick-release models in case of emergency exit needs. Window film also makes glass harder to break through.

Consider a Guard Dog

Some homeowners opt for trained guard or protection dogs for home security. Breeds like Dobermans, German Shepherds, and Rottweilers are intelligent and can be conditioned to serve as guard dogs. With proper training and precautions, they can help deter burglars from even approaching your property.

Install Motion Sensor Lights

Motion activated security lights eliminate nighttime blind spots around your home’s exterior. Burglars trying to approach undetected will be illuminated and draw attention. Place the lights up high so they can’t be tampered with. Point them at all doors and potential entry points.

Keep Your Home Maintained

A poorly maintained home sends the signal that no one cares about protecting it. Trim landscaping, repair broken windows, fix any exterior damage, and keep things tidy. Criminals target run-down properties first. Make your home look like you take pride in ownership.

Implementing some of these tips can help safeguard your home from burglary. Remember to always keep doors and windows locked, install a security system, and eliminate hiding places around your home’s exterior. By making your property less appealing to target, you can hopefully avoid becoming the victim of a break-in.