Here are several items a homeowner can do:

• Keep plants and trees that grow close to the house or apartment well-trimmed. Overgrown bushes make a great hiding place for burglars.
• Lock up ladders or other tools burglars could use to get into your residence.
• Keep your yard well-lighted. Motion-sensitive and photocell light fixtures are effective, as is low-voltage garden lighting, which also adds to the aesthetic value of a residence.
• Make it appear that someone is always at home by using appliance and light timers.
• Install strong, quality deadbolt locks on all entry doors. Replace the screws in the strike plate with ones at least three inches long.
• All entry doors should have a peephole, sidelights or a window.
• A pole or broom handle should go in the bottom track of a sliding glass door. If you have a security system, make sure the pole is short enough to allow the alarm to sound if the door is opened, yet long enough to prevent entry.
• Precautions that homeowners and renters take to reduce the potential of their residences being burglarized will benefit them and their fellow homeowner and renters policyholders in the state through reduced insurance losses. The cost of homeowners and renters insurance can be held down through sensible crime prevention measures that are simple and inexpensive.