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How can you tell if a house is being targeted?

Signs That You're Being Targeted The same unfamiliar vehicle hanging around over several days, either frequently driving by your place or parked nearby. Unfamiliar individuals walking back and forth on your street or back alley. Anyone taking photos of your home or property. ... Loose light bulbs on exterior lights. More items... •

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Wondering how to tell if a burglar is watching your house? If you’ve ever seen a heist movie like Ocean’s Eleven or The Italian Job, you know that thieves leave nothing to chance. Everything is painstakingly planned out, and that includes “casing” the target location. Home burglaries are no different. Would-be burglars typically identify potential targets days or even weeks in advance by monitoring neighborhoods to learn which houses are vulnerable. They return again and again to gather additional information about the area, the property, the homeowners, and any home security measures that may be in place. They take time to assess which homes are more likely to prevent their success and which ones will be simple to break into. In order to beat them at their own game, you need to know the tricks and techniques they use to case the outside and inside of your home. You need to do everything possible to turn your property from a soft to a hard target. And knowing how to tell if someone is casing your house requires more than just staying alert and noticing suspicious people or activity.

Here’s how to tell if a burglar is watching your house.

The Home Security Basics

A modern home security system should be like an onion, with many overlapping layers protecting the three major zones: the perimeter of your property, the perimeter of your house, and inside your home. Gates, fences, motion sensors, lights, cameras, security system signs or stickers, closed curtains or blinds, sturdy locks, beware of dog signs, and more are all fantastic deterrents on the outside of your home. Any combination of them will deter all but the most ambitious of burglars from moving on to the next property. In fact, the data suggests that 90% of criminals will pass on a house with a visible home security system in place, and a home without one is on average 3x more likely to be robbed.

It’s all about making your house as unappealing as possible.

The lowest-hanging fruit for a thief? Unlocked doors and windows. A full 33% of home burglaries are “unlawful entry,” meaning the burglar gained access without having to break a lock, door, or window. 79% of break-ins happen via either the front door, first-floor window, or back door. Will burglars smash their way in? Sometimes. But making sure everything is locked up tight is the simplest and most powerful deterrent. Even better? Install home security cameras. And let everyone know with stickers, placards, and obvious motion sensors, cameras, and lights.

What Are Burglars Looking For?

Burglars want an easy target. For example, no security system. They also look for evidence that no one is home, such as:

Newspapers piling up

Several days’ worth of mail

Too-long grass

Exterior lights on during the day

Interior lights on an obvious schedule (turn on at the same time each night)

Empty driveway

Quiet house

What else? Windows they can easily look through to see who and what is inside. Flimsy doors or locks. Window air conditioner units, since it’s relatively easy to remove them and gain access. A door or window where they can break in under cover of darkness or shielded from the street by trees or hedges. Burglars don’t like a spotlight. Access to the sides and/or back of your house. These are just a few of the things a burglar might look for over the course of a few visits.

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Prevent Your Home From Becoming a Burglary Target

Take those telltale signs away and transform your home from an easy mark to a hard pass: Install a home security system with motion detectors, cameras, lights, and sirens (noticing a pattern with this?) Have a neighbor collect your newspapers and mail, or better yet, place a temporary hold on them Lock your windows and doors, and close the curtains/blinds of all ground-floor windows Use smart automatic light systems to vary the times when they turn on and off Leave a radio or television on in the house to give the appearance that someone is home For extended holidays, ask a neighbor or hire a service to cut your grass or shovel your snow Trim trees and hedges and/or install lights at the most obvious points of entry

Keep side and backyard gates closed and locked if you have them

Ensure your door is solid and fits tightly in the door jamb (too much space between and a crowbar can easily slip in) Secure window air conditioner units from the inside, or limit them to upstairs windows Finally, you should also participate in or launch a neighborhood watch program. A recent study involving data from Canada, the UK, and the United States found these programs reduce crime by an average of 16%. Having more eyes on your house means a much lower probability a burglar will pick you.

Signs That You’re Being Targeted

Many of us are oblivious to what’s going on around us, especially when it comes to spotting crime. But if you pay attention, you should be able to identify the telltale signs someone is casing your house before the burglary takes place. Here’s how you can tell if a burglar is watching your house: The same unfamiliar vehicle hanging around over several days, either frequently driving by your place or parked nearby. hanging around over several days, either frequently driving by your place or parked nearby. Unfamiliar individuals walking back and forth on your street or back alley. on your street or back alley. Anyone taking photos of your home or property . You might not catch them in the act, but if you see a stranger with a camera on your street, that is a cause for concern. . You might not catch them in the act, but if you see a stranger with a camera on your street, that is a cause for concern. Loose light bulbs on exterior lights. Burglars will often unscrew them a day or two prior to a break-in attempt. on exterior lights. Burglars will often unscrew them a day or two prior to a break-in attempt. Strangers at your door . Burglars will frequently walk up and knock on the front door to see if someone is home, giving an excuse—asking for directions, looking for a “lost dog,” claiming they’re at the wrong house—whenever someone answers it.

. Burglars will frequently walk up and knock on the front door to see if someone is home, giving an excuse—asking for directions, looking for a “lost dog,” claiming they’re at the wrong house—whenever someone answers it. Mild vandalism like a rock through a side window. Burglars do this so they can get an idea of what happens if a window breaks. Is there an alarm system they need to be aware of? How quickly will the cops come?

like a rock through a side window. Burglars do this so they can get an idea of what happens if a window breaks. Is there an alarm system they need to be aware of? How quickly will the cops come? Someone lets your dog out of your yard . Or someone shows a fond interest in your dog. Getting rid of your dog makes their lives a lot easier.

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. Or someone shows a fond interest in your dog. Getting rid of your dog makes their lives a lot easier. Telephone calls that hang up as soon as you answer . Burglars often do this to find out who, if anyone, is home right now. . Burglars often do this to find out who, if anyone, is home right now. Clear tape over the keyhole to your front door . Then, when you use your keys, they know that you’re home. This could provide them with an idea of your schedule and help them plan better. . Then, when you use your keys, they know that you’re home. This could provide them with an idea of your schedule and help them plan better. Trash rummaging. Many times, burglars might go through your trash to find documents that reveal important details about you. The more they know, the easier target you are. Always remember to shred your documents before discarding them. Of course, there are also more literal signs that your house is marked for robbery.

Are You Being Marked?

Recently, there have been homes in both North America and Europe with strange markings discovered somewhere outside. According to the authorities, criminals often leave these as either a reminder to themselves or a message to their accomplices. If you find odd chalk markings on your property, it’s a good idea to inform the proper authorities. These marks may be from the kids down the street, or they could be from a burglar. House robbery markings aren’t always obvious and their meaning usually isn’t clear, but the police may have information on what (if anything) they mean.

Don’t Become a Burglar’s Victim

There are over 2.5 million burglaries each year in the United States, with an average dollar loss of $2251 per burglary. Unless you want to be part of that statistic, you need to take steps to protect your family and your property and learn how to tell if a burglar is watching your house. Would-be burglars are casing your home. They’re returning several times looking for easy access points, proof that you’re not home, evidence of valuables, and whatever other data they can gather. Don’t make it easy for them. As Benjamin Franklin famously said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Deep Sentinel’s video camera monitoring system uses constantly improving AI to recognize threatening behaviors at your property and intervene before any damage is done. It is the best and most reliable alternative to ADT and other burglar alarm systems. Keep your home safe and avoid burglary with Deep Sentinel.

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