Several days of news papers were left in the yard or on porch Mail boxes were stuffed. Front porches were stacked with trash such as boxes and old furniture. Some one had just gotten a new computer and left all of the empty boxes at the street. One front door had a sign to leave the UPS delivery inside the front door. Make sure that these are all locked.
Open windows make entry easy for the break-in.
Secure all windows. If you live in an apartment make sure that the front door is locked at all times. Once the criminal is inside the front hall, they can work easier when trying to break into the door to an apartment. Also if the front door is left unlocked, the criminal can be inside the hall or under the steps waiting for you to come home. It appears that many of the break-ins are the result of the criminals watching the residents pattern.