No one would blame you for being one of the Lexington homeowners concerned with the safety of your property and family. While the city has a suburban feel and is a college town, one out of every 329 residents will become a victim of a brutal crime every year. These crimes include assault and robbery. Three out of every 1,000 residents will also be a victim of burglary, while 22 out of every 1,000 residents will fall victim to theft every year. Learning how to protect your home from intruders is a good way to reduce your risk of becoming yet another victim.
How to Deter Burglars in Lexington
Burglars are a common sight in Lexington because the city has so many college kids. Even if you live in a residential neighborhood, you need to know how to deter burglars at night and during the day. Some of the best ways to keep your home safe from intruders that are worth using include:
- Add an alarm system
- Use security lights
- Keep your yard clear
- Cut back on possible hiding spots
Do Alarm Systems Deter Burglars?
An alarm system not only keeps your Lexington home safer, but it can also deter some potential robbers. This is especially true if you add an alarm sign to your yard. When you head to bed at night, enable the alarm and sleep soundly. The alarm will go off when anyone tries to access your home without a working code. Window alarms are another handy feature. These alarms monitor for pressure changes that can indicate that someone raised the window. As soon as you hear the alarm, you’ll know that you need to hit the security alarm and call for help. If you want to learn how to protect your home from intruders, start with an alarm system.
One good alternative to just an alarm is a full security system with cameras. The security company that installs the system will have someone watching the camera feeds 24/7. Whether you head to work for eight hours or leave on vacation for days, you can rest assured that your home will be in good shape when you get back. Another benefit is that the person watching will call for help as soon as possible. As a bonus, the system can handle false alarms without calling the police. With a smart doorbell, the system lets you see who is outside before you open the door, too.
Does Leaving a Light on at Night Deter Burglars?
While the sun sets late in the day during Lexington springs and summers, it can become dark as early as five or six in the long winter months. One way to keep your home safe is with smart outdoor lights. These lights remain off as long as they don’t detect any motion. As soon as someone walks through your yard and triggers the sensor though, they come on quickly.
Robbers usually target Kentucky homes that look dark and empty. Whether you’re on vacation or out to dinner, a burglar might see your dark home and decide to break a window. The outdoor lights pick up on their motions and shine at them. Not only does it let them know that your neighbors can see them but it can also make them think that someone is home. Robbers will usually run as soon as they see a light. The answer to the question, do security lights deter burglars is a resounding yes!
How Does Cleaning Your Yard Help?
As you look at how to protect your home from intruders, think about how your property looks to prospective thieves. Do you have kids who leave their bikes and toys scattered around the yard? Those toys let robbers know that you have kids at home. While it may deter some, it lets others know that you might have expensive gadgets inside that your kids use. It also lets them know that you’re out of the house a lot with your kids. Try to remove as much clutter from your yard as possible.
It’s also risky to let overgrown weeds run wild and wait too long to cut your grass. As you look at how to protect your house from break ins, take care of any signs that can make your home look vacant and even abandoned, especially if you work long hours or aren’t home at night. A robber might visit multiple times to case out your home. As they see a lot of clutter and signs of abandonment with no one around, they think it’s the perfect spot to attack.
Taking care of your lawn also cuts back on any hiding spots around your home. Using too much mulch by your front door allows prospective thieves to reach your door without you hearing a word. They can also hide in spots your camera cannot reach and in spots you might miss like behind your shed or under an old car. Learning how to protect your home from intruders includes landscaping and maintaining your property to remove possible hiding spots.
What is the Best Way to Protect Your Home from Intruders
We found some other ways to keep your home safe from intruders that include:
- If you have a fence around your yard, install a lock on the gate. Even a lock on a smaller gate will make a robber think twice because it makes them wonder about any other security measures you might have.
- Replace your standard lock with a smart lock, especially if you usually keep a spare key outside to give loved ones access to your home. Even if you think you find the perfect hiding spot for that key, a robber can find it. With a smart lock, you can give everyone who needs to enter your home their own unique code that unlocks the door.
- Talk with your Lexington neighbors and others before you leave you an extended period. Whether you need to travel for a few days for work or plan to take a week-long family vacation, ask them to keep an eye on your home. You’ll also want to hold your mail and pause any deliveries you usually get. Consider using lights on a timer, too. All of these methods will make your home look like there are people living there.
At CornerStone Protection, we believe that nothing is more important than your safety. Do you live in Lexington and want to learn how to scare burglars away? Contact us for a free consultation for a custom security system today.
