A neighbor was telling me this week that someone tried to steal the car from her driveway–the alarm went off, and another neighbor watched the suspect run down the street.  Another resident not so lucky–his white SUV, parked on the street, had all four wheels stolen.  The car was left propped up on blocks. My good friend Alex Greenwood recently posted tips from a security company on how to protect your home from would-be thieves..these events inspiring today’s blog post. 

1) Use a kickbar on your doors.  The KCMO police recommend this device.  It’s easy for burglars to kick in doors–especially in the back of a house. Using a kickbar should prevent the door from opening.

2) Use sound.  If your home is unoccupied during the day, leave a radio on loud enough for someone to hear it from outside.  Thinking someone is home, your house may be left alone when thieves are casing the neighborhood.

3) Lights on at night.  Not just porch lights–leave a light on in the kitchen, on the upper floor, in a first floor office.  It will appear that someone is awake and up late in the home.

4) Leaving for a few days?  Use timers on your lights, notify neighbors, have someone pick up mail and papers left in front.

5) Don’t broadcast the fact that you are out of town via social media websites. You never know when that information can slip into the wrong hands–and you come home to a burglarized home.

If you live in Kansas City MO, a crime prevention police officer will come to your home and offer  additional safety information specific to your residence.  There are additional tips online at the KCMO police department website.  I also subscribe to crimereports.com.  This site shows you where crime is happening in your neighborhood,  what type of crime it is, and when it occured.

As a real estate agent, I’m often asked “Is this area safe?”.  I always answer “crime is everywhere” — individuals must be proactive to prevent becoming a victim.  Crime increases as the weather gets warmer– now is the time to take a look at your home and take action!