Comments on: How to Burglarproof Your Home

on 8/8/2006 I am not a big fan of alarms because in my city of 2.5 million people 90% of all alarms are false alarms. This is not very comforting. Police do not rush to a monitored alarm knowing that of the 36,000 that were triggered last year 33,000 of them were false alarms.

I prefer to harden the target. I bought a new product called the Door Safe System. You can get it on eBay.

The Door Safe reinforces a door weakened by a lock and reinforces the door frame. According to the FBI 80% of break-ins are through a door. I recently learned that the weakest part of a door is the lock. The lock weakens the door and the deadbolt acts like a crowbar inside your door when a crook kicks it.

If you research the real stats, an alarm doesn't stop a break and enter, it just tells you one has happened.

on 11/22/2005 It is better to leave a spare key with a relative (such as your parents), even if you have to drive a couple miles to pick it up. If you choose a neighbor, who later becomes upset with you or isn't as trustworthy as you thought, your home could be robbed without any signs of a break in. While you are gone, they have all day to rummage and take what they want. It may take you days or weeks to notice things are missing. This has happened to me. It is costly to change your door locks.

on 11/22/2005 This is a very cheap way to prevent intruders from climbing over standard wood fences surrounding your yard.
Buy a box of brass phillips head deck screws, 1.5 inches long. From the outside of the fence, drill one screw through each 3-4 inch wide fence slat, about 1-2 inches down from the top. Each screw will be tight from the outside of the fence, with the sharp remainder of the screw length protruding out toward the inside of the fence. Anybody attempting to climb over the fence will quickly change their mind.

on 11/22/2005 Have a working cell phone inside the home to call for help in case a prowler disconnects the regular phone line. You can also telephone the phone company from the safety of your home to order repair service for the regular telephone.

on 11/22/2005 Your phone system should have a main box where the incoming lines connect to your house. If this box is outside the house, the burglars could cut your phone and even the alarm. Have this box moved inside and leave the one outside as is, as a decoy.