GREENSBORO, N.C. — It’s estimated there is a 10% increase in home break-ins during June, July, and August. It is after all vacation season. Yet, no matter the season, the most common time for a break-in is during the day. From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., when you're at work and your neighbors are too.
WHERE BURGLARS HIT FIRST
“The master bedroom is typically where burglars go to first. It's where we keep our jewelry, if you have a safe you have it in the closet, cash, and guns, it's probably where your designer purses are, in the closet. If they go to the master bedroom first and they're not finding quick things they can grab that are high-value items, they probably leave and hit the next house,” said Kristi O’Connor of CPI Security.
THE CLASSIC MISTAKE
Now when it comes to those of you with some type of home alarm system, you may rely on the cameras alerting you to someone breaking in. Yet, that is the classic mistake.
“If you're not arming your system, and someone does try to break in, that signal will never get sent to the monitoring center and that's the most valuable part of your system because that's how we respond and get the police there,” said O’Connor.
An estimated 42.3 million people are expected to travel more than 50 miles away from home this Memorial Day weekend.
While you're away this holiday weekend or whenever there are things you should consider doing to protect your home.
DON’T GIVE BURGLARS A CHANCE TO HIDE
If your yard is overgrown if you have bushes or shrubbery that is overgrown, it gives them an easy place to hide.
USE AUTOMATED LIGHTING
Set it to a schedule that goes throughout the day, that way if someone is casing your neighborhood, they may be less likely to pick yours because it looks like someone has been in and out. Make sure you put those automated lights on different floors of the house.
BOLT THE SAFE TO THE GROUND
If you have a safe, bolt it to the ground.
“We have seen instances where burglars are brazen enough to pick the safe up and walk out and they'll try and break into it in their own home,” said O’Connor.