For example, many of us discard boxes by the street for recycling pickup. The illustrations and photos add realism to this sometimes scary book. The photo of a kicked-in door, with a locked deadbolt, shows how apartment burglars get around door locks by breaking the frame if the deadbolt isn't properly installed. Another photo shows how a garage door left up only a few inches, for a cat or dog to enter, is an invitation to a burglar. But this book isn't just about home crimes and how to prevent them.
Emphasis is placed on checklists for making home-risk assessments.
Some risks are worth accepting, the authors explain, especially if you have adequate homeowner's insurance. When it comes to home security systems, the authors suggest setting a budget and avoiding spending more than necessary. This book has so many examples of security mistakes homeowners make, it sounds like a tale based on police station crime reports. To illustrate, one of the mistakes many of us make is not locking our cars when parking them in our locked home garage. Worse yet, some of us leave our keys in the car, thinking the locked garage is enough protection against a nighttime car thief.