Miami crime rates are declining in Florida. Unfortunately, although the rates are dropping, the crime rate is still high. In 2010, Miami’s city data stated 1,856 robberies and 4,604 burglaries in the region. At their current rate of decline, city data projects 1,738 robberies and 3,900 burglaries in 2013.


Taking steps to protect your home and family can ensure that you do not become part of these crime statistics.

Most home invasions occur during the day, when the homeowners are out of the house. The summer months tend to have greater burglaries than winter months, with February showing the lowest rates overall.

Burglars tend to focus on small items that they can remove from the house easily and pawn or fence for quick cash, such as cash and jewelry. This includes small electronics like tablets and laptops – so preserve irreplaceable files before you lose them forever.

Most burglars remain uncaught because they are usually long gone by the time the crime is discovered. Additionally, burglars intentionally pick the houses that seem the easiest to hit. It’s important to take steps on your own to secure your home with the help of home security companies like Vivint.

Doors and Locks
A burglar might break a window or jimmy a lock to gain access, but they prefer to gain access through an unlocked, or open, door or window.

Always lock all your doors, even when you are inside the house. Replace wooden exterior doors with solid core or metal doors. Avoid having exterior doors with large windows that can be easily broken. Large windows also allow burglars to look inside your home. Install a heavy-duty deadbolt on each exterior door and make sure the doors fit the frames properly. A door that does not latch properly defeats the purpose of having a deadbolt.

Secure sliding doors with a wooden dowel in the track to prevent someone popping the latch and sliding the door open. You should also install an anti-lift device to prevent someone lifting the door out of the tracks.

If your garage is attached to your home, keep the door closed and locked.

Windows
Keep your windows closed and locked when you are not home. If you must have your windows open, install a blocking device to prevent the windows from opening more than a few inches. Some vinyl windows have built-in blocking mechanisms, or you can tape a wooden dowel in the track to block it. Make sure that you cannot reach or disable the blocking device from the outside.

Vehicle

Avoid keeping valuables in view in your car. Do not keep the garage opener or anything with your address in your car, a thief can easily use this to find out where you live and gain access to your home through the garage.

Always arm the anti-theft device and make sure the batteries in your fob are good.
A good alarm system can also go a long way toward protecting your home and family. Vivint specializes in home security in Miami – and can help you determine the best system for you even if you don’t live in Florida. These professionals are not only experienced with home security, but with the unique challenges you can face in a tropical climate, like Miami, including large predators infiltrating your yard.

A security professional can help you design a system to handle any number of contingencies to ensure your peace of mind. What are some tips to protect your home against burglary?