| If you're trying to protect your belongings from | | | | sophisticated tools to break into your home, and may |
| theft, you may end up wondering what's most | | | | already have an idea of what you own. They are |
| important to protect. Which items are at the biggest | | | | often more comfortable sticking around for a longer |
| risk of being stolen during a home invasion? Most | | | | period of time, and are the ones most likely to make |
| burglars try and get in and out of the home as | | | | a mess of your home. If the thief decides to spend |
| quickly as possible. While there are occasional news | | | | more than a minute or two in your home, they are |
| stories of an entire home being ransacked and | | | | likely to target your electronics. Gaming systems and |
| emptied by brazen thieves, it is much more common | | | | other expensive belongings that are still relatively |
| that a burglar will steal anything of obvious value that | | | | portable make easy targets for thieves looking to |
| can be carted out in under ten minutes. | | | | make some quick cash by stealing your belongings. |
| Most burglars are opportunists. Once they break into | | | | Although your new HDTV may be a target, if it is |
| your home, they will steal anything in plain sight with | | | | too large you may find that it has been smashed by |
| obvious value. Not a lot of planning typically goes into | | | | the burglar, rather than stolen, because cannot be |
| these burglaries; the object is to steal as many | | | | taken quickly. |
| valuable items as possible, in as little time as possible. | | | | The fact is, every modern home has something of |
| The objects most often stolen during a home | | | | value for burglars. While you can and certainly should |
| burglary are those that are small and easily converted | | | | hide small objects, such as heirloom jewelry, it is |
| into cash. Jewelry boxes and piggy banks or jars of | | | | impossible to keep a thief from stealing your |
| coins are common targets because they can be | | | | electronics once they get inside your home. A far |
| converted to cash easily, and are kept in the same | | | | more effective strategy is to keep them from |
| location in many homes. If you leave your credit | | | | entering your home in the first place and limit any |
| cards, checkbooks, or guns unprotected, you can | | | | potential time inside the home. Devices such as door |
| expect them to be stolen as well. If you have | | | | and window locks and security cameras can make |
| expensive jewelry, guns, and other belongings, placing | | | | thieves much less likely to enter the home. Once |
| them in a diversion safe is an easy way to protect | | | | inside, loud alarms on every potential entry point will |
| them from these burglars, who want to be in and | | | | make them think twice about taking the time to |
| out of your home as quickly as possible, yet still have | | | | make off with your belongings. As soon as they hear |
| them easily accessible for those in your household | | | | the alarm blaring, most criminals will simply turn the |
| who know where to look. | | | | other way and run, since they won't want to be |
| Prowlers and professional thieves may use more | | | | caught inside your home. |