Here is a concise summary of the 12 ways to protect your home from burglars:
**12 Ways to Protect Your Home from Burglars**
1. **Secure Info**: Don't share work hours or household info with unfamiliar callers.
2. **Thorny Barriers**: Plant thorny plants around windows and fences to deter burglars.
3. **Sunlight Illusion**: Leave curtains partially open to create the illusion of presence.
4. **Check Locks**: Regularly inspect locks for signs of attempted tampering.
5. **Deter with Visibility**: Pretend to have someone home by waving at strangers.
6. **Discreet Packaging**: Tear up boxes of expensive items before disposing.
7. **Exploit Burglars' Fears**: Display "Protected Property" signs to deter them.
8. **Maintain Your Property**: Keep your lawn and surroundings well-maintained.
9. **Secure Windows**: Use protective film, bars, or impact-resistant glass.
10. **Reliable Locks**: Install high-security locks (e.g., deadbolt Class 1 and 2).
11. **Silent Signals**: Turn off or mute your landline to avoid indicating absence.
12. **Hide Valuables from Strangers**: Secure valuable items when service workers are present.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, without opinions, with each fact numbered and in short sentences:
1. **Burglary Statistics (2017, US)**: Approximately 1.5 million burglaries occurred in the states alone.
2. **Break-in Timeframe**: Burglars take between 90 seconds to 12 minutes to break into a house. (According to the FBI)
3. **Common Break-in Method (US)**: 34% of break-ins occur through the front door.
4. **Vulnerable Lock Type**: Cylinder locks are most at risk of burglary.
5. **Effective Lock Combination**: Combining a cylindrical lock with a lever lock provides maximum protection.
6. **Dead Bolt Security**: Dead bolt class 1 and 2 locks do not have springs, enhancing security.
7. **Burglary Method (US, Windows)**: Approximately 23% of burglars in the US choose to break in through first-floor windows.
8. **Peak Burglary Hours (According to Jacksonville State University study)**: Most burglaries occur from 10 am to 3 pm, when most people are at work.