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5.0 HOW TO PREVENT HOUSE THEFT; HOW TO PREVENT CRIME, ACCIDENTS, INJURIES

After his store was robbed three times, the manager of an electronics store in Morehead City, NC came up with a formula to prevent further break-ins. "Lights, bells, and bars," he told me. He had to go to extreme measures because it was obvious his store had expensive equipment that was easy to sell. He was also located in an area that was deserted and unprotected at night.

What he meant was this: lights scare thieves away because they can't hide; bells call attention to a thief at the time of a break-in; bars are an obvious barrier when the thief looks into the store.

You do not need to go to these extreme measures. But you can learn from his experience.

First: don't openly display any expensive things you own.

Second: your house should always look occupied.

Third: There should be adequate lighting around the house.

Fourth: While you probably won't need bars, you should make sure that all your door locks are deadbolts which cannot be easily forced and that all your windows (especially those on the ground floor) cannot be opened from the outside.

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