How safe are you and your belongings from a home invasion? The answer might surprise you. Although many people believe it will never happen to them, burglary statistics say otherwise. In fact, someone’s home or apartment is burgled every 18 seconds in the United States. Check out these other staggering statistics and then determine how you can protect yourself.
- Most Burglaries Happen During Daylight Hours
When people imagine burglaries, they picture people in dark clothes picking locks in the middle of the night. The reality is that most burglaries happen during the daylight hours when people are at work or school and neighbors are less likely to notice something amiss. A home security system can be helpful in preventing daytime home invasions. Many of today’s models include motion activation and connected apps that allow you to check on your apartment and receive notifications of activity throughout the day.
- Most Home Invasions Don’t Even Last 10 Minutes
Most burglars look for easy targets. They pay attention to your schedules and look for residences with older-looking doors and windows that will be easy to break. Of course, they also pay attention to whether they notice security features such as cameras or keypads. The easier your place looks to hit, the more likely it is to fall victim since it will be fast to get in and out of.
- Almost 40 Percent of Burglars Go Right Through the Front Door
Perhaps one of the most astonishing facts is that so many burglars simply go through the front door. Often, it is because the residents forgot to lock the door on their way out. If the door is easy to kick in because it is hollow or worn out, it will also be an easy target. People who hide keys outside for workers or family members are also susceptible. Ensure your door is solid wood or metal and has a heavy-duty lock system that includes a deadbolt. A smart doorbell with assigned PINs is perfect for avoiding having extra keys floating around.
- There Are People Home During About 30 Percent of Burglaries
Although many burglaries happen when nobody is home, almost 30 percent of them occur when there is somebody in the house. Coming home to find your place ransacked is scary enough but being home during a burglary might result in a violent crime. To protect yourself and your property, always keep your doors and windows locked and your security system armed, even when you are home. Get yourself into a habit of locking the door and setting the alarm as soon as you get inside and checking everything before you go to bed.
- The Average Person Loses More Than $2,000 in a Burglary
According to the FBI, burglary victims lost an average amount of $2,251 in property during the year 2014. That totals to nearly $4 billion nationwide, and nearly 75 percent of the losses were in residential properties. Compare that number to the monthly cost of insurance, and it’s easy to see why the number of people who insure the property in their homes or apartments is on the rise.
Unfortunately, no matter how well you protect your home and belongings from invasion or theft, you are never 100 percent safe from the possibility of becoming part of these home invasion statistics. Insuring your property is one way to save your bank account, though. Learn more by contacting us at here.
