You can also purchase screws and wooden dowels for your windows to prevent easy access. Burglars hate lights and noise. When you go out at night, connect your interior lights to a timer, play a radio on a low volume or use decoy objects like an old pair of shoes outside the front door to create the illusion that you're home. A watchful neighbour is the best burglar alarm and it costs nothing. Get to know your neighbours.
Burglars are nervous about robbing homes that are visible to nearby neighbours.
What's more, if you're going away, don't forget to tell your neighbours how long you will be gone. An excellent way to protect your valuables from theft is to engrave your drivers license number on them with an etching pen - they'll be much less appealing to thieves. A marked belonging is much more difficult to sell and it's easier for police to catch and prosecute the culprit if the stolen items are discovered in his or her possession. To protect smaller items such as jewellery, cameras and silverware, it's a good idea to take a photo or to videotape each item for easier identification later. Keep them hidden out of plain view and consider locking them away in a cupboard.