In my interview with John Riddle, this veteran SWAT team leader talked about the ways bad guys choose targets, and how they make their own homes more difficult for bad guys and the police to enter. From that talk, and other sources I’ve found, here’s a no-nonsense, no-frills, simple list of things you can do to make your home more difficult for bad guys to want to break in, and for them to succeed if they decide to anyway.
In no particular order…
Keep your blinds closed at night so the bad guys can’t see inside.
Trim bushes in your yard so there’s no place for an intruder to hide.
Install motion sensor lights covering your walking paths and the dark pockets of your yard.
Put up visible cameras.
Replace your exterior lock screws with 2 or 3 inch screws so your door is securely in place.
Don’t hide a spare key on your property. Leave it with a trusted neighbor instead.
Use a wooden dowel to bar your windows and sliding doors.
Walk past your house in daylight and at night, looking for signs you’re an easy or valuable target.
Bring deliveries and mail indoors as quickly as possible.
Do not throw away boxes or other trash that reveal the worth of what’s inside your home.
Keep your landscaping neat, but not manicured. Messy lawns suggest messy security habits. Manicured lawns suggest lots of stuff worth stealing.
Get an alarm system and use it, or at least put up alarm company stickers.
Keep your prescription medicines and valuables in a safe.
Hide that safe well, and put a cheap safe full of costume jewelry someplace obvious.
Lock your doors and windows at all times.
Don’t post your whereabouts on social media in real time, or announce publicly when you won’t be at home.
Install a deadbolt lock on all exterior doors.
Put a safety door in front of your doors for an added layer of protection.
Install shatter-proofing window film over your windows and glass doors.
Use timer lights to suggest you’re home and awake when you’re really away or asleep.
Keep your garage door closed.
Snip the line on your automatic garage door release cord. Burglars can reach a normal one with a coat hanger and manually open the door.
Don’t leave your garage door opener in the car, where anybody can get it.
A woman living alone can put a dog bowl or pair of men’s work boots on the stoop for a little deceptive protection.
Get a dog. This is a big commitment, but every serious security person I know says a dog is the best home safety addition you can buy.
Get to know your neighbors, their families, and their habits.
Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway while you’re on vacation.
Keep your sheds and other outbuildings closed and locked.
Store ladders indoors so burglars can’t use them to enter through an upper story.
Always know who’s on the other side before you open the door.
In our interview, John goes into some of these in detail, along with other important ways of turning your home into a castle without making it a fortress.