A break-in can happen at any time. However, in Texas the day that your home is most likely to get broken into is August 10th. A recent report released by Allstate Insurance Company analyzed three years worth of claims data to identify the top three days of the year that a home in Texas is most likely to be burglarized. Those days are:
#1 – August 10th
#2 – October 1st
#3 – January 1st
The report looked at claims made between 2010 and 2012. It should also be noted that the data is specific to the 545,000 Texas homes insured by Allstate, which is equal to approximately 12% of homes in the state.
In this post we’ll explain possible reasons why August 10th has the highest rate for break-ins, what burglars look for and how you can protect your home.
Why August 10th?
Burglaries happen when you’re away from home. So during August when a lot of people are on vacations, it’s a prime time for burglars looking to break into vacant homes. They will seek out homes where there is a lack of activity and signs that you haven’t been there for a while. These include:
- Mail that has built up.
- Newspapers that haven’t been picked up.
- Flyers hanging on door knobs.
Once they realize you aren’t at home it only takes them a matter of minutes to kick in the door and grab what they can. Police have noted that items most likely to be stolen include cash, jewelry and electronics.
How to Protect Your Home From a Break In While You’re Away
Even when you’re not at home there are precautions you can take to protect your belongings.
- Don’t advertise that you’re going out of town or will be gone all day. With today’s technology, it’s easy to accidentally let a thief know your house is vacant by making posts on Facebook or Twitter.
- Ask a neighbor to keep an eye on your home. They can do a daily check and pick up any mail so it isn’t lying around.
- Install an alarm system, and put decals or signs out in front of your house that lets passerby’s know your home is protected.
- Keep valuables out of sight. Don’t leave pricy items like bikes out front, use heavy curtains or blinds to block thieves from looking in, and hide cash and jewelry if you are going on vacation.
- Leave a light on or the TV going if you’re going to be gone for the day.
- Don’t leave spare keys out. If you’re going on vacation pick them up, because burglars will look around for them.
- Let you local police know you’ll be gone. You can request that they do regular drive-bys to keep an eye on things while you’re gone. This is a major burglar deterrent.
- Lock doors and windows. Anytime and every time you leave the house lock it up – including garage doors. Up to 40% of break-ins don’t require force. Some burglars may even target a home they know is unlocked and that they can easily get into.
Be diligent about deterring burglars every day of the year no matter whether you live in a house or an apartment. Also, keep your home insurance or renters insurance up to date by regularly updating the inventory of items in your home. With the tips above burglars will think twice about targeting your home.
Original Source: http://www.mybiginsurance.com/homeowners-insurance/top-three-days-for-home-burglaries-in-texas