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This advice on preventing burglaries comes from the Metropolitan Police.
The best way to protect your house from a burglar is to think like a burglar.
Burglary on the whole is an opportunist crime. A house will be selected if it offers the fewest number of obstacles to carry out the crime undetected.An unoccupied and insecure building is far more likely to be targeted than one which is properly secure. If you can take measures that tell the burglar that this building is too difficult or too risky a target‚ he will hopefully move on. Signs of an unoccupied building
Signs of an insecure building
The signs above could make the burglar want to take a second look. If you live in a multi-occupancy dwelling‚ be careful to who you allow entry through an entry phone system and be wary of people seeking to "tailgate" you into the building.
Source: Metropolitan Police, November 2009.
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