By Thomas Culver
Staff Writer

According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program's annual publication, Crime in the United States, 2003, the Nation had an estimated 2,153,464 burglaries in 2003, a slight (+0.1 percent) increase from the 2002 estimated figure. Victims collectively lost an estimated $3.5 billion as a result of burglaries in 2003 with an average dollar loss of $1,626 per incident. Most burglaries (65.8 percent) occurred at residences; most residential burglaries (62.0 percent) occurred during the daytime.

While the chance that your home will be burglarized in any given year may be small, when a burglary does occur it can be quite traumatic. And home invasion type robberies in which the victim is at home during the crime have become more commonplace.

What can you do to protect your home and family? Following are some tips to help ensure the safety of your home: 

• Invest in solid doors and good quality locks on doors and windows. This includes on all sliding glass doors as well. Make it not only difficult but also time consuming for a burglar to gain entry.
  
  
• Whenever you go outside, lock the door and take the key with you, even if you are just stepping next door or out mowing the back yard.
  
  
• Don't put valuables where they can be seen from the window, especially items that can be easily carried.
  
  
• Be sure your garage door can be secured. Do not leave it open when you are away; an empty garage broadcasts your absence.
  
  
• When you aren't home, use a timer set to turn interior lights on and off at varying intervals as though your home was still occupied.
  
  
• Don't keep large amounts of cash or really valuable jewelry around the house.
  
  
• If someone comes to your door asking to use the telephone, make the call yourself. Don't invite them in.
  
  
• Don't hide a spare key under the door mat or under a flower pot. Thieves know all the good hiding places.
  
  
• Plant thorny bushes under all windows. Trim back any trees or shrubs near doors and windows to eliminate hiding places for would-be theives.
  
  
• Invest in a good security system along with motion sensor lights installed out of reach.
  
  
• Don't leave ladders outside. Keep any tools that could be used to break in your home safely locked away in a garage or shed.
  
  
• Get a barking dog or "beware of dog" signs. If you own a dog and go out of town, have someone come in and care for your dog in your home.
  
  
• Always double check doors at night and lock all windows.
  
  
• Engrave all valuables such as stereos, microwaves, videocameras, with your driver's license number. (Engraving tools are usually available through your local law enforcement agency.)
  
  
• Videotape the contents of your home. Keep the video and the list of all valuables in a safe place, such as a safety deposit box.