Home robberies occur every 15 minutes in America, most of which happen while you’re away at work. It takes an average of 10 minutes for burglars to get in and out with your stuff if your home is visibly unarmed. This means that the harder you make it for a person to break into your home, the less likely they are to target it in the first place.

Installing dead bolts in all exterior doors provides an extra layer of protection between thieves and your valuables. Since most burglars enter homes through unlocked doors or windows, simply locking up when you leave and before bed can be an effective deterrent for less experienced thieves. If you have a sliding glass door, placing a wooden rod in the track prevents the door from being opened from the outside.

To prevent luring burglars to your home, keep valuables out of plain sight. Use blinds and/or curtains to block the view of expensive items such as TVs, computers and fine artwork. Many criminals break into homes to steal car keys, allowing them to drive your car off your property. Keeping car keys hidden away in a drawer helps prevent such crime. Similarly, most burglars head straight for the master bedroom to look for jewelry, money and other expensive treasures. Storing such items in another room can protect them in the event of a break in.

If you’d feel more comfortable taking a more proactive approach to home security, you can try motion-sensor outdoor lighting and a security alarm. The outdoor lighting gives the appearance of an easy, dark target, until the motion sensors are tripped and the thief is caught in a flood of light. This scares away many inexperienced criminals. A security alarm, though a pricey option, offers the most protection with 24/7 monitoring by representatives who will call the authorities if the alarm is tripped.

Other anti-theft methods include installing security cameras, glass-break alarms and even owning a large dog. If funds are low but you still want peace of mind, you can select a few cheap methods (like dead bolts) and buy dummy security cameras and yard signs for security monitoring. This can trick thieves into thinking your home is protected more than it actually is.

Add another layer of protection. Call Pan American Insurance at (915) 562-0009 for more information on El Paso home insurance.