Burglars look for an easy mark. They prefer homes that provide good hiding places and relatively easy entry. Follow these simple but effective steps to make your home less appealing to a burglar:

• Install proper outdoor lighting, including motion-activated floodlights, to keep your home perimeter well lit at night.
• Position and mount exterior lights high enough to make them difficult to disable.
• Make sure all entrance doors have deadbolt locks.
• Install a peephole in the door to see who is there without having to open it.
• Secure sliding glass doors and windows with a bolt lock or by placing a sturdy bar in the track.
• Keep your valuables and expensive electronics out of sight - if a burglar doesn't see something worth stealing, they are more likely to target a different home.
  

According to FBI statistics, more burglaries occur in July and August than in any other months. And, not surprisingly, most break ins are during the day, between 8 AM and 5 PM, when the odds of residents being at home are lower. Given this information, it's important to be consistent and diligent about locking all doors and windows each time you go out. If you have an alarm security system, make sure to activate it for maximum protection.

Statistics prove that burglars prefer to break into an empty house. They watch for signs that you are not at home. These tips help your home appear occupied when you're at work, traveling, or on vacation:

• Get to know your neighbors. Tell them when you are out of town and ask them to keep an eye on your home.
• Give your house a "lived in" look by setting up automatic timers for lights, radio, or a television. Use several timers to stagger the on/off sequences.
• Unread newspapers or an overstuffed mailbox are obvious clues that you are not at home. Ask a relative, friend or trusted neighbor pick these up each day. Even better, put your mail and newspaper delivery on hold.
• Leave a vehicle in your driveway. If you don't have an extra car, ask someone to park theirs at your home. For extended times away, arrange for a friend or neighbor to move the vehicle around from time to time.
• Make sure your answering machine message does not announce that you are away or when you will return. Keep your message neutral and only say you are busy and can't come to the phone.
• Seasonal outdoor maintenance may inadvertently give away the fact that your home is temporarily unoccupied. Ask someone to mow the lawn, water the flowers, rake leaves, or shovel snow while you are away.
• Be careful whom you tell that you will be out of town. Not everyone is trustworthy or ethical, so exercise caution with new or very casual acquaintences.

Yes. Monitored alarm systems are an effective deterrent. Nine out of ten convicted burglars said they avoid houses protected by an alarm system. Security system decals and signs can also discourage unlawful entry into your home.

But even with a monitored alarm system in place, take appropriate precautions:

• Do not give out your alarm code. Only a family member or trusted friend should know the code in case of  an emergency.
• Make sure your security system includes a loud alarm. Install detectors at all exterior doors and windows.
• Motion sensors are strongly advised in the master bedroom and main living areas.

Obviously, there are no guarantees. Taking every precaution still may not stop the determined burglar. Whether you live in the city, suburbs or a rural community, every home in a neighborhood is a potential prospect to a thief. The point of these tips and suggestions is to make your home a less appealing target.

Burglars choose houses that offer easy access, adequate cover, obvious valuables worth stealing, and virtually no chance of being caught. When you make your home hard to break into, it increases the burglar's risk of being caught. And when the risk is too high, the thief goes elsewhere.

You may be surprised to learn that the average family has a one-in-four chance of being the victim of a serious crime each year, as estimated by the U.S. Justice Department. Don't make it easy to become part of that statistic.

• Never hide a key in the  mailbox, under the doormat, in the planter box, or above the doorway. If you know about these hiding places, so do the "bad guys"!
• Don't put your name or address on your key ring. It might lead a burglar right to your front door.
• When having service work done on your vehicle, remove the ignition key from your key ring rather than leaving all your keys at the shop.