More Burglaries Occur in Summer Than Any Other Season - Learn How to Protect Your Home, Warns the I.I.I.

While many people are planning weekend getaways and long summer vacations, criminals are hard at work planning their next burglary.

July and August are the worst months for burglaries, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). Of the 1.2 million burglaries that occur each year, many are avoidable. In fact, nine out of 10 home break-ins could have been prevented if homeowners knew how to burglarproof their homes, notes the I.I.I.

Light, time and noise are a homeowner's greatest weapons in the fight to prevent a home burglary, explains the I.I.I.

To help prevent home burglaries, the I.I.I. offers the following suggestions:

• "Case" your house the way a burglar might and look for easy ways to enter your home. Look to see if valuables such as expensive electronic equipment or artwork are visible from the street. If a passerby can see your belongings, so can criminals.
• Keep your home well lit. Mount exterior lights, out of reach, in your yard or on your house. If you are going out for the evening, remember to leave a few lights on in the house or put them on a timer.
• Discourage a would-be burglar by making it time-consuming to break into your home. Simple security devices such as grates, bars, dead-bolt window and door locks and other ordinary anti-theft devices can slow a burglar down. Many would-be criminals will give up if it takes more than five minutes to get in. Ask your local hardware dealer or locksmith to recommend pick-resistant devices.
• Trim trees and shrubs near doors and windows. High fences and shrubbery can hide a burglary in progress, so consider exchanging a little privacy for added security.
• Make it noisy to break into your home. Consider investing in a burglar alarm. There are many types of systems available. Some you can install yourself and other systems will require the assistance of a professional. The most effective ones ring at an outside service, which contacts the police, fire or other emergency service.
• Make sure you have strong doors. Outside doors should be made of metal or solid hardwood and at least 1¾-inches thick. Frames must also be made of strong material, and each door must fit its frame securely. The best lock will not deter a burglar if it is installed in a weak door.

When improving the security of your home, it is also important not to exchange security for personal safety. Don't make your home such a fortress that you are unable to escape in case of a fire or other emergency.

Insurance companies provide discounts for devices that make a home safer. Most companies give discounts of two-to-five percent for dead-bolt locks, and smoke/fire alarms. Discounts of 15 to 20 percent are also available if you install a sophisticated smoke and burglar alarm system that rings at an outside service. Not all systems will qualify for a discount, so talk to your insurance agent before investing in this type of safety equipment.

For more information on how to burglarproof your home, talk to your insurance agent or your local law enforcement agency, or access the I.I.I.'s web site at http://www.iii.org

The Insurance Information Institute is a non-profit communications organization sponsored by the property/casualty insurance business.