The summer ‘burglary season’ has officially begun. July and August are the most popular months for travel, but they’re also the most popular months for home burglaries and most communities across the country will experience a 10-19 percent increase in home burglaries over the next two months, according to the Burglary Prevention Council and FBI statistics.
Summertime burglars prowl for people on vacation and many homeowners make that task simple by revealing their vacation plans on social networking Websites. If you’re wondering whether telling all of your Facebook friends you’re planning a week-long vacation to see the extended family this summer is a good idea, you’ll want to read about why you should never reveal vacation plans using social media.
While summer burglars are opportunistic, they look for easy targets—homes with unlocked doors and open windows; they also look for homes without home security systems . As it turns out, many burglars also have a “wish list” of often high-ticket and sometimes easy-to-steal items. Here are the top items burglars tend to target in home burglaries:
1) Flat screen televisions- While they may be hard to hide, they’re easy-to-sell, high-demand products. If you have a flat screen television, make sure to mark it with an identifying number to make it harder for a thief to re-sell.
2) Laptops- Laptops are getting smaller and smaller, making them easier targets for crooks.
3) Jewelry- Easy-to-steal and expensive, jewelry is always on the top of a burglar’s list.
4) Cash- Who doesn’t like cash? We know burglars do. Remember to avoid leaving cash in the open in your home.
Be sure to store valuables like jewelry and cash in a secure place, like a safe and make sure flat screen televisions are not visible from the street. It’s also important to create a home inventory of your possessions—include photos to make filing a claim easier if your home gets burglarized.
*Content expressed in Home Security Source does not represent the thoughts and opinions of ADT Security Services, Inc. unless explicitly indicated.