McGruff Wants You to Know...

Everyone knows McGruff the Crime Dog – So we enlisted his help to get the word out about home security. McGruff let us know that:

38% of all assaults occur during a home invasion.

60% of all reported rapes occur during a home invasion.

Homes on a corner lot are more likely to be burglarized.

If your home has had a burglary, the odds of being burglarized again dramatically increase. The stolen items have been replaced with new items. Over 2.7 million burglaries were reported to law enforcement agencies in 1994 (the latest published data), with 2 out of 3 being residential. Sixty-seven percent of all burglaries involved forcible entry. Over half (52 percent) of the burglaries occurred during the daylight hours. The value of property stolen during burglaries was estimated at over $3.6 billion in 1994 and has consistently been on the rise since.

McGruff also wants us to know that a few simple changes to your landscaping can help to protect your home from would-be burglars. They are looking for a home they can get into and out of quickly; the more time they spend in your home the more chance of getting caught. Their best target is a home surrounded by tall hedges and shrubs, which restricts visibility from the street and your neighbors' houses.

Trim your shrubbery and trees so that your doors and windows can be seen by neighbors, and from the street; by forgoing a little privacy you will not be providing a hiding place for a burglar. If you have more than one floor, prune trees away from upper floor windows to prevent an intruder using them as a ladder, also make sure any trellises won't provide a convenient ladder to gain entry to the upper floors.

All planting close to the sidewalk, driveways, doors or gates, should be kept low; no more than two feet in height. As you move further away from the sidewalk you can increase the height but keep it down to no more than four feet. Any plant under the window should be kept below the windowsill. Trees should have their lower branches trimmed to at least seven feet off the ground.

Be sure to keep your lawn trimmed; an uncut lawn will indicate to a potential burglar that you have been away from your home for some time. By placing gravel on the ground under windows you will be warned if someone walks on it, this can be a useful psychological deterrent. Remember not to have any large rocks or stones near glass windows or doors. There's no point in providing a burglar with his tools!

Gain Peace of Mind

Imagine that you’re out to dinner with friends and family. It's been an enjoyable evening -- laughing, dancing, eating fine cuisine, and generally enjoying the company around you. You swing by the sitter’s on your way home to pick up the kids, make your way back and settle in for the evening. Perhaps you’re planning a little midnight snack for a late-night movie as you pull into the driveway and tell the kids that it’s time for bed.

As the family gets out of the car, and heads up the walk to the door, you notice something amiss. The front door is ajar…and as you draw closer, you notice that the door has been pried open. As you try to wrap your mind around what you’re saying, your spouse pushes the door open to reveal the shredded mess of the contents of your home.

As you hold the children back, you cautiously step through the door, wondering if the perpetrator is still inside your home. As you look around the room, you notice that your grandmother’s silver is missing, you glance at the empty space above your fireplace where television used to be and a thousand concerns flood your mind. You begin to feel violated, afraid, and unsettled in your own home.

As your spouse picks up a telephone call the police, you pick up your son’s baseball bat among a pile of rubbish on the floor and you slowly make your way up the stairs. You notice that every bedroom has been ransacked, every television is missing, your daughter’s stereo system is missing, and as you walk into your own bedroom you notice your jewelry box is gone, the antique cufflinks that your great-grandfather had passed down for generations are no longer within your reach and the story continues to unfold…

The good news is that all of this can be prevented with the simple installation of a home security system. Unfortunately, we live in a time of uncertainty and cruelty. There are thousands of people looking for something for nothing and they simply don’t care who they hurt to get it. When someone breaks into your home, you feel unsafe and unsettled in your own surroundings. A man’s home is supposed to be his castle, when that castle is pillaged, there is no more comfort. If you’re hoping to keep home “home sweet home,” consider looking into your home security options. Remember, all it takes is once to ruin your peace of mind.