{Keeping {Home Invaders|Criminals|Bandits|Robbers|Thieves} {Out of Your Home|at Bay}|{Reducing|Minimizing} {Your|The} {Chances|Likelihood} of a {Robbery|Home Invasion}|Making Your {House|Home} Less Attractive to {Home Invaders|Criminals|Bandits|Robbers|Thieves}|Facts on Home Invasions|How to Think Like a {Home Invader|Criminal|Bandit|Robber|Thief}}

7 - Bandits

{Did you know that most {residential|home} {burglars plan their home invasions before they happen|burglaries are {premeditated|planned}}?|{Most|The majority of} home burglaries are {premeditated|planned}|{The majority of|Most} home burglaries are not {random|randomly executed}; they are {usually|typically} {premeditated|planned}.} {{Criminals|Robbers|Thieves} {search for|look for|seek out} {houses|homes|targets} that {will make their job easier|are {easy to enter|easily accessible}}. They {want to|know they can} {enter|get in} quickly, {find|take|swipe} your {possessions|valuables}, and {get out|leave} without being detected|{Robbers|Criminals|Thieves} {hunt|look|search} for {susceptible|vulnerable|easily-accessible} targets where they can {get in|enter}, {locate|take|find and take} any valuables, and exit {without being detected|as quickly as possible}|{Robbers|Criminals|Thieves} want to {get in and out without being detected|keep their time inside of homes to a minimum} and {look for|search out} {susceptible|easily-accessible} targets}. {{While there {isn’t a|is no} fail-safe way to {completely protect|protect} your home, here|There {isn’t one thing you can do to protect your home 100% of the time|is no fail-safe way to protect your home}, but there} are some simple steps that will decrease the {likelihood|odds} of a break-in|There {isn’t a method|is no method} that will {offer|provide} {complete|100%} {prevention of|protection from} a home invasion. But there are a few simple {things you can do|steps you can take} to decrease your {chances|odds} of a break-in}.

{Before we get to those {suggestions|tips}|First}, {read these|let’s look at some} facts:

  • {Most {home |}{invasions|robberies|thefts} of two-person family homes {happen|occur} during the day|In two-person family homes, most {invasions|robberies|thefts} occur during the day}.
  • {Thieves spend an average of|On average, thieves spend} one minute {breaking in|gaining entry} and less than five minutes inside a home.
  • {The {ground|first} floor is the most common {place|area} for burglaries|Most burglaries {happen|occur} on the {first|ground|first or ground} floor}.
  • {Entry {usually happens|is {typically|usually} made} {through|via} a {side or rear|rear or side} door; the {next|second} most common access is via the garage door|The most common {access areas are|areas for access are} the {side door, rear door|rear door, side door}, and garage door|The {side door, rear door|rear door, side door}, and garage door are the most common {places|areas} for entry}.

{With {these items|those facts} in mind, {walk|take a moment to walk} around your {house|home} and {look for simple things to correct|think like a burglar}|Using these {items|facts}, walk around your {house|home} and {put yourself in the shoes of a burglar|think like a burglar would}|With {the knowledge of these facts|these {things|facts} in mind}, look {around your house for areas of improvement|for things that a burglar would in your home}}. {Ask yourself the following questions:|Evaluate your home {from the inside and out|during the day and night|from the inside and out, both during the night and day}.}

  • {Are {your windows locked|your windows secure|the windows secure? Are basement windows protected with security bars}|Can you windows be opened easily}?
  • {Are deadbolts installed on exterior doors|Do {your|all} exterior doors have deadbolts}? {Can doors|Are they solid-core so they can’t} be kicked in?
  • {Is your garage door {secure|secure? Have you changed the keypad code recently}|Have you changed the {code|keypad code} to your garage door recently|When {did you last change|was the last time you changed} the keypad code to your garage door}?
  • Does {your|the} landscaping {help a burglar conceal|allow a burglar to conceal} himself while {opening|attempting to open} a {door or window|window or door}?
  • Is your home well {lit and all lights difficult to disable|lit? {Are lights motion-sensor controlled? |}Are lights {high|installed high} enough so that burglars can’t disable {them|the lights}}?
  • Is your identity displayed {anywhere outside your|on your mailbox or} house?
  • Are your {possessions|valuables} {secure, documented, and out of sight|secure? Documented? Out of sight}?

{{Answering these questions|Following this process|Taking just a few simple steps} will help make your home less {noticeable|attractive} to {criminals|thieves} and {reduce|greatly reduce} your {likelihood|chances} of {a break-in|becoming a target}{, giving you peace of mind|}|By {following this process|answering these questions}, you can {improve your peace of mind and make your home less attractive to criminals|make your home less attractive to criminals and improve your peace of mind}|{Improve your|Give yourself more} peace of mind and make your home less attractive to criminals by {following the process|answering the questions} above}.