Worried about break-ins? Tips for making your home a tougher target for burglars

As some areas of the San Fernando Valley saw more reported burglaries this summer at homes and businesses, security officials say protecting those properties can be tougher because of advances in technology.

With Wi-Fi jammers and surveillance drones becoming more common in recent years, some security companies in SoCal say they’re busier than ever.

Don Moore, a certified protection professional and president of Moore Protection, told LAist that people can take simple steps now to save them the trouble later.

“I don't want people to live in fear,” Moore said. “I want them to be empowered.”

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LAist spoke with security experts on how to fortify your home — without breaking the bank. (The LAPD declined LAist’s request for an interview.)

Here’s what they said:

In and around your home

If you want to figure out how someone would break into your home, Moore said lock your keys inside.

“You will find the weak point, and so will they,” he said.

Secure your doors and fix the window that doesn’t latch properly before anyone else discovers the easy way in.

Richard Ginsburg, CEO of ACS Security and its parent company Alert 360, told LAist that second floors have been a convenient target, so store your ladders, chairs, and other climbable-objects in a safe place, away from walls or balconies.

They also recommend:

• Trimming your hedges, bushes, and foliage so they don’t become a convenient space to hide.
• If you have a dog, advertise it. You can buy cheap “beware” signs to post on your property.
• Lock your garage door, especially an interior one that leads directly into your home.
• And if you have a safe, bolt it to the ground. 
  
  • “In the movies, you know, the guy has a stethoscope on and he's cracking the safe,” Ginsburg said. “It doesn't work that way. I mean, we've seen 5-600 pound safes being dollied off out of homes.”

Technology isn’t a cure-all 

Wi-Fi jammers can knock out Ring, Nest, and Arlo cameras, to name a few. Hardwired systems can be a safer bet, but they’re also more expensive. And a cheaper camera is still better than none, Moore noted.

“It's like in the Cold War, you know, it was an arms race,” he said. “The burglars get good at something, and so we security practitioners have to come up with countermeasures to keep them from doing that.”

If you have an alarm system, which they both recommend, put a durable lock on your exterior electrical box. Some have knocked out all the power to a home, Ginsburg said, and waited for the alarm’s backup battery to die.

They also say:

• Proper lighting is one of the most inexpensive ways to deter thefts
  
  • Ginsburg noted that LEDs are not only more energy efficient, they can light up your space “like a stadium.” 
• Smashing glass windows and doors has become more common. Moore recommends acoustic glass breakage detectors in every room where there's panes that would be big enough for someone to squeeze through.

What not to do

Don’t disable your alarm, even if you’re hanging out at home.

“The bane of my existence is when I hear about someone who got broken into and they have a perfectly good alarm system that was not armed,” Moore said. “I tell my wife to use the alarm system if she's getting in the shower at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.”

Don’t post vacation pictures on a public social media account, or at least wait until you’re back home. Online resources make it easy to find your name, address, and other identifiable information, Ginsburg added.

Don’t get caught unprepared. Just like school fire drills, Moore said you should do an intrusion drill with your family. Make sure children know that they won’t get in trouble if they’re startled by a strange noise in the middle of the night, and the adults have a practiced plan of action.

Finally, don’t ignore your instincts. If a situation seems off, or someone’s asking too many personal questions, listen to your gut and keep that information close.