Home crime prevention starts from the street. Should a would-be criminal drive down your block, what are they going to see? You want that to be a home that does not look inviting to burglarize. This starts at the curb; placing a large cardboard TV box on the curb advertises your house has a big screen TV in it. If possible break up large boxes into smaller pieces and place them curbside where someone cannot see the outer packaging. Another thing is to not place those types of boxes out on the curb the day before trash day, this gives those would-be criminals an entire day to see new stuff you have in your home. Do you leave your mower near the sidewalk when you run inside to go to the bathroom or do something else? What about your kids, do they jump off their bike and leave it on or near the sidewalk? Think of how easy it would be for someone in a truck to drive up and put that mower or bike into their truck and drive off. And, in case you didn’t know it, your trash is considered abandoned property and anyone is welcome to it, so that bike or mower sitting near the curb might be considered abandoned property, at least some would-be criminal that gets caught is going to say that. But they are going to be hard-pressed to claim the mower you had pushed up by the front door or by the garage was mistaken as trash.

Your driveway is a straight shot into your garage and your home, having it well lit at night is not only important toward deterring someone from attempting to burglarize your cars it makes for a safer environment when you come and go from your home. Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable transitioning from your car to your home in a well lit driveway than a dark one with shadows in the corners and places for someone to hide? Two things to consider when lighting your driveway; first is placement and power of the light sources you don’t want to annoy your neighbors by making the inside of their home look like day light all night. Not only is powerful lighting an annoyance to your neighbor it’s also a violation of city ordinance. Second thing to consider about placement of the light source is that anything behind the source is concealed from the street. Doesn’t do you any good to have a nice light illuminating your driveway if it creates a blind spot near the garage door that the police cannot see when patrolling past your house or that your neighbor cannot see from across the street.

Along with lighting is your shrubbery, that beautiful breathtaking landscaping you work hard on might be creating concealment for someone to try breaking into your home from. Try not to block line of sight from the street to your windows or doorways. Do you have landscaping that would allow someone to climb up to a second story window? It might be a less likely access point but how often do people lock upstairs windows? Just keep that in mind. Something else to consider is closing your blinds. This simple act might drastically reduce how appealing your home is to that would-be criminal. Driving down the street what is someone going to see as they pass your home? That big monitor you have showing your windows log in screen letting someone know you probably have a fancy computer at that desk? That 60″ HD TV sitting on the wall in the living room with surround sound speakers? Don’t let criminals window shop at your own home.