Even though the residential burglary rate has been dropping steadily in recent years (down 26% between 2019 and 2023), many of us still worry about being robbed or experiencing a home invasion.
If your home has a garage with an automatic door, it almost certainly has a manual release mechanism designed to let you open the door from the inside during a power outage or malfunction. That’s an essential safety feature—but it can also be a vulnerability. As shown in this video, a patient and experienced thief can fish for that manual release, open the garage door, and gain access to your home that way.
Install a garage shield. A garage shield is just a barrier installed between the manual release and the door, and simply (and effectively) prevents a coat hanger or other fishing tool from finding the manual release. You can DIY one of these with a piece of plywood if you’re relatively handy.
One more thing you should do to secure the garage? Use a keychain remote instead of one clipped to your car’s visor or sitting in the glovebox. A garage remote in your car is convenient for you and criminals, because they can break into your car to access the remote, then stroll into your house. If the garage remote is attached to your keys, it stays with you at all times, removing this invasion vector.
Reinforce doors and windows
Reinforce door frames. One of the most effective ways to get through a locked door is simply battering it in or using a prybar to crack the frame. Reinforcing the door frame with a simple kit makes it a lot harder for thieves to do so.
Add extra window locks. The locks that come with standard sash windows are fine, but not exactly unbeatable—plus, they’re either engaged or not, meaning your window is either closed or not. A hinged wedge lock can be positioned to allow the window to open enough to let some air flow into the room while preventing it from being opened far enough to grant entry, and can be swung open to allow normal use of the window.
Secure air conditioners. If you have window AC units in your house, it’s almost trivial for thieves to push them in through the window itself to gain entry. You can (and should!) secure the unit to the window frame, and add window locks to ensure the sash can’t be moved from the outside.
Keep entryways visible so thieves can’t work on your locks in privacy.
Surround windows with thorny, painful plants.
And if you’ve got a dog or security system installed, adding a low-tech sign announcing them can be the first-line deterrent that makes thieves skip your house in the first place.
Get a dog
Studies have shown that dog ownership reduces the incidence of crime in various ways. A dog can be a deterrent, and can even drive off someone who successfully breaks in. And dog ownership in a neighborhood increases foot traffic and strengthens bonds between neighbors, making it more likely that someone will observe a break-in attempt and/or warn you about any suspicious activity they might spot. So, yes, getting a puppy will help keep people out of your house.
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