The Associated Press has reported that burglaries in American homes are on the rise, as thieves seek to obtain items made out of gold, which achieved a top price of $1,891 per ounce last month.
Gold jewelry such as chains, pendants, earrings, bracelets, and rings, are all very easy to carry and can be sold in a melted form so that they don’t leave any trace as to their source. The same cannot be said about laptops, televisions, and other electronics.
In order to reduce their vulnerability to this trend, there are a few things that homeowners can do. The first is to take steps to reduce the chances that the house will be broken into in the first place. The second is to make efforts to minimize the losses should a burglar actually break in.
The Insurance Information Institute in New York has said that homeowners should make an effort to avoid being an “easy mark” to burglars. Thieves do not like to work in a place that is highly lit areas where their actions are too visible. Moreover, they don’t want to try to break into a place that will take too much time, as it increases the chances of being seen. A burglar also doesn’t want to try to get inside a place that will be too noisy, as this will attract attention.
Research has indicated that if a break-in looks like it will take more than four or five minutes, the thief will generally move on to another location. This makes home security systems a highly effective way for homeowners to reduce their risk of being broken into.
The Consumer Reports National Research Center examined a number of systems and rated their efficacy for home protection. In the Consumer Reports magazine, it stated that homeowners who want a complete and effective system should expect to pay between $1 and $2 per square foot for the system itself, and approximately $25 per month for the monitoring service.
Regardless, any high value items should be individually insured to make certain that they are covered should a determined burglar be successful.
