Shop Smart magazine offers tips on how to protect your home.
An economic recession affects everyone, even robbers. When money is short, more people turn to crime and those already involved tend to get more desperate.
According to a new survey by the Police Executive Research Forum, nearly half of police departments have reported an increase in certain crimes they say can be attributed to the economic crisis -- including home burglaries.
With more houses sitting empty due to foreclosures, once safe neighborhoods are becoming more tempting to looters.
But there are ways to keep your home safe from even the most dogged burglars without breaking the bank.
"Good Morning America" housing contributor and Wall Street Journal editor Wendy Bounds knows a thing or two about home security and compiled some tips, with the help of Consumer Report's Shop Smart, for burglar-proofing your home on the cheap.
Check out her tips below and then click here for more information on home security.
"You make it as difficult and frustrating as possible for thieves to break in, so you create multiple layers that a thief must get through in order to gain access to your home," Bounds said. "You want your house to be the least appealing to thieves on the block. And you can do that by dissuading them from even coming up your driveway."
Don't put out a calling card with boxes of expensive items, like the flat-screen TV you just bought. You're advertising all the great loot that's inside your house. Keep all that stuff in the garage until garbage day.
Don't leave mail piled up in the mailbox if you're away. Again, you're telling the thieves what's going on, that you're not home.
Take your name off the mailbox altogether. These days with Google and the Internet, it's very easy to find your phone number online, then the thief can call and see if you're home.
Finally, light up the house. Scare off those burglars with motion-sensor lights. Look for ones with adjustable sensitivity to avoid getting a false alarm from things like tree branches rustling. And keep the outside of your home illuminated an all sides using energy efficient compact fluorescents.
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