The idea behind home security is protecting your property and family by eliminating any opportunities a possible thief may have.  If you’re concerned about your home security, your best bet is to switch sides and become a thief yourself.  By learning how to think like a thief, you can help protect yourself, your home, and your property by turning the tables and using thieves’ tricks against them.

Become a Thief

Thieves are opportunists – the best way to predict a thief’s actions is to adopt his habits and practice a little psychology.  Go outside your home and assess the property.  Are there any particularly vulnerable areas of your home?  Are windows and doors secured properly?  Are the bushes overgrown, giving a burglar valuable cover?  What are your home’s weak spots?  Do you have any doggy doors or sliding glass doors?

It’s hard thinking of your home in these terms, but this is what burglars see while scoping out possible targets.  Identifying the major weak spots and easy access points – and then securing them properly – is your first step in thinking like a thief.

Don’t Overlook the Obvious

As you’re outside thinking like a thief, look through the windows.  Are the curtains open?  Can you see expensive items, like electronics or artwork?  If you can see those things, chances are that burglars can too.  Having valuable items on display is enticing for thieves, so be sure to close the curtains and move your valuables out of the line of sight.

Thieves are also most likely to use the easiest entry point into your home – they’re not much concerned about breaking glass or scratching the paint on your door while breaking the lock.  Don’t leave your keys within arm’s reach near a window or a door; this is an open invitation to thieves.

Don’t Equip Thieves

Remember the opportunistic nature of thieves and always be sure to put away lawn equipment and tools after use.  Leaving ladders, hammers, and other tools out in the open provides the necessary equipment for thieves to break into your home.  Don’t make a thief’s dirty work any easier.

Get to Know Thieving Habits

The final step in becoming a thief is learning their habits – educating yourself about thieving habits can help you protect yourself and assess your own risk of being burgled.  Check out these statistics provided by NRA Insurance’s report “Safe as Houses – Risk and Reality Around the Home.” 

• One in four houses has been burgled; this number increases to one in three in urban areas.
• Renters are 1.5 times more likely to be burgled than homeowners who occupy their homes.
• Friday is the busiest day of the week for thieves; Sunday has the least amount of thieving activity.
• Thieves are likely to return to the scene of the crime within three months of a break-in.