Nationally, Ohio cities grab several of the top ten slots for high property crime rates, which not only includes burglary but car theft and larceny. Even if you don’t live in one of the high-risk cities, you might be interested in these stats.
How thieves operate:
• A burglary happens every 15 seconds.
• 65% of burglaries take place between 6 am and 6 pm when most people work.
• Slightly over one-third of all burglars enter through the front door.
• Their first targets inside: the master bedroom, dining room, and home office.

Knowing what burglars are looking for and where they expect to find it can help you protect your home and valuables.

Master bedrooms usually contain a trove of treasures. The dining room may hold that Lunt sterling silver flatware that’s been in your family for three generations. The home office generally contains a myriad of electronics and valuable information like personal date, banking, and tax information. Here’s a brief list of high-value items:
• Safes containing cash, coin collections or important documents
• Gaming systems, laptops, phones
• Gold
• Guns
• Collector’s pieces, artwork,
• Silver

While no house is 100% impenetrable, you can make breaking in more difficult which slows thieves down making your home less desirable to break into.

• Don’t advertise your pricey belongings
• Make sure doors and windows are locked when you are not home.
• Play a radio or television very loud to make it appear as though someone is home.
• Get an inside dog.
• Have your neighborhood police officer over for a visit to point out
vulnerabilities
• Get to know your neighbors.
• Install motion sensor lights and turn out exterior lights at night
• Install a security system

In the coming weeks, we’ll detail ways to help you secure your home with additional layers of protection. From inexpensive deterrents to clever hiding places for your valuables. To keep up to date you can catch us on twitter @OhioCapitalMortgage, and on Facebook and our website: OhioCapitalMortgage.com