If you watch the evening news on a regular basis or read your local newspaper you're bound to see a story on a very regular basis, if not daily, about home invasions or home burglary.
Is just a fact that on average one out of six homes annually gets burglarized.
It is much more difficult to get statistics about home invasions because law enforcement officials don't separate them.
But they are on the rise.
Part of the reason for that of course is that homeowners don't seem to go out of their way to make it difficult for the bad guys to get in.
Sixty percent of all home burglaries happen through unlocked doors and windows.
And police statistics show that 90 percent of all home burglaries can be prevented.
It has always been a mystery to me why homeowners don't do some basic, simple things to prevent home burglaries, but they don't.
There are several things they can do to "harden" their home as a target.
First obviously is locking doors and windows.
Then remove potential hiding place created by shrubs along lower level doors and windows.
You can join or start a 'neighborhood watch' program and put up a sign in your front yard that warns of a vicious guard dog.
And if he have some darkened areas around your home or garage install some motion activated spotlights.
But the best thing you can do is to install a home security camera.
I recommend at least two; one for the front door and one for the back door.
Security cameras are not nearly as expensive as they used to be.
You can get several for less than $100.
00 each.
So two would cost you less than $200.
00.
Is your $200,000 plus home worth a $200 investment? I should hope so.
Home security or surveillance cameras send a clear signal to the bad guys that they should stay away from your home and pick someone else to burglarize.