Every December, we look back at our most popular stories of the year. We’ve had some terrific inspirational ones recently, like the amazing artist who hand-carves soaring, swirling caves where none existed before; and the architect who, hit by foreclosure, built a tiny house for $11,000; and the young artists who quit jobs to build glass cabin in the woods. But some of our biggest hits offer practical advice, like this story we published in May. We think its lessons are particularly relevant during the holiday season, when so many shiny new temptations are around for the criminal-minded. ]

If you think you’re not at risk of being a victim of burglary, think again. If there’s an opportunity to invade your home, no matter who you are or where you live, burglars will take the chance.

“Burglaries are considered ‘crimes of opportunity’ because the criminal is looking for the easy way to get into your home – the unlocked door, open garage door or open window,” says Charlene Miller, Crime Prevention Neighborhood Watch director at the Boise Police Department.

Fortunately, “There are practical security measures you can take to make it so difficult for burglars that they’ll go somewhere else,” Miller adds.

Want to learn what these measures are? Here are nine things you can do to make burglars think twice before trying to enter your home.

#1 – Secured Doors and Windows

In approximately one-third of home burglaries the burglar comes in through an unlocked door or window, according to the “Burglary of Single Family Houses”guide, published by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). Getting invisi-gard doors will help keep burglars out.

“The first line of defense in your home’s security is having solid core security gates  and exterior doors with high quality grade 1 or 2 deadbolt locks,” Miller states. “French doors can be secured with a quality deadbolt lock and a slide bolt penetrating the upper or lower doorframe.”

http://homes.yahoo.com/news/protect-home-from-burglars-005405786.html