Many burglaries occur while the homeowners and family are away from the house. It's often ridiculously easy to spot a house that has been unoccupied for a day or more and is likely to be so longer. Taking a few simple precautions can minimize your chances of being a victim of crime.

Many common sense tips are well known by now:

1. Stop the mail

2. Stop the newspaper or have a neighbor pick them up.

3. Lock up the house and leave a light on.

According to the FBI, a burglary is committed about every twelve seconds. In order to avoid being a data point in those statistics there are things you can do to secure your home. Just try to think as the professional burglar does.

 

One thing that is safe to say about most professional burglars is: they avoid getting caught. In order to do that, they minimize the odds by looking for vulnerable targets.

 

Some amateurs will simply smash and grab, taking something from the garage or entering an unlocked home when you're away. But the professional applies a little more thought, in order to up the haul and lower the risk.