Neighborhood Connections City of Pasadena

Concepts of Burglary Prevention

Aug 20, 2000

Concepts of burglary prevention
Prevention involves five concepts: deter, deny, delay, detect and deceive. An effective burglary prevention program is based upon appropriate action to implement these five concepts.
Deter: Place Operation I.D. decals on the windows to let the burglar know that property items are marked. Light accessible locations during the night hours.
Deny: Place valuables in a secure location such as a wall safe or security closet.
Delay; Install key-locking latches on windows.
Detect: Install an alarm system. Join a neighborhood watch program so the neighbors watch the house.
Deceive: Place automatic timers on lights to simulate the home is occupied. Have neighbors pick up mail and other deliveries and mow the lawn to maintain a lived-in appearance.
These five concepts can also aid in apprehension. The longer the burglar is denied entry, the greater are chances for observation neighbors and apprehension by law enforcement.
You cannot make a residence absolutely burglar-proof, but you can make entry so difficult that you will not be an easy target.