• Check your locks and doors to ensure that there are proper locking mechanisms in place.
• Do not leave accessible windows or doors unlocked, even if you are leaving for just a few minutes.
• Most residential burglaries happen during the day-time when no one is home.
• Thieves hate lights. Leave a light or radio on when not a home or use timers to make it appear someone is home.
• Keep your yard clean. Prune back shrubbery so it doesn't hide doors or windows. Cut back tree limbs that a thief could use to climb to an upper-level window.
• When planning to be away for more than a day or two; leave shades, blinds and curtains in normal positions, and don't let mail pile up. Call the post office to stop delivery or have a neighbor pick it up.
• Make a list of your valuables — TV's, DVD's, stereos, computers, jewelry. Take photos of the items, list their serial numbers and description. Check with law enforcement about engraving your valuables through Operation Identification.
• If something looks questionable — a slit screen, a broken window or an open door — don't go in. Call the police from a safe location.
• Alarms can be a good investment, especially if you have many valuables in your home, or live in an isolated area or one with a history of break-ins.