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By Harriette Halepis

Do you know that most thefts occur within affluent neighbourhoods? For some reason, most of us are under the impression that home invasion only happens in poverty stricken areas. The truth is that thieves would much rather target those people that are likely to have lots of valuables. This is precisely why nicer neighbourhoods have a higher rate of home invasion thefts. Even those people that live inside of a gated community that includes private security guards are often the targets of thieves. Do you think that a thief cannot possibly break into your community or home? Think again – thieves are far more intelligent than you may give them credit for.

You can try and protect your home with security alarms, cameras, and large dogs, but even these homes fall prey to theft now and again. What can you do to protect your home from thieves? Well, there are lots of tactics that might cause a thief to skip over your house when looking for a target. Here are some helpful tips:

• Leave the Lights On: If you intend to leave for vacation, make sure that some lights are always on inside of your home. However, don’t leave your lights hooked up to a timer – many thieves will recognize a home that is lighted at the same time every night.
• Don’t Draw Attention: So, you just bought the world’s largest television and you redid your kitchen – close your curtains! Far too often, people leave their curtains open for all the world to see inside of a house…bad idea.
• Be Careful What You Throw Away: Did you just purchase the best sound system that money can buy? Leaving a marked box on the curb for the garbage man is not a great plan – thieves take careful note of those garbage piles.

While these tips will certainly help your home to remain safe, they aren’t fool-proof. If you happen to have a lot of valuables inside of your home, think about adding a GPS tracking device to those things that mean the most to you. For example, placing a tracker on a valuable painting (inside of the frame is best) is a wise move. Likewise, adding trackers to any items that are irreplaceable might also be a good game plan. You can’t really prevent a thief from breaking into your house, but you can track and trace any stolen valuables with the help of a GPS tracker.