A subject I am infortunately extremely interested in.  It seems thieves in our areas are targeting Chinese owned homes.  Why you ask?  Gold, cash, and electronics.

My 2 Cents after reading a few articles and having a local Sheriff look at my house:

1. Dogs are great alarms, and discourage most thieves.  Even just a beware of dog sign helps.  And yes, I have heard stories of thieves who hurt dogs (taser, pepper spray, throw rocks, etc.).
2. Add a home alarms with a monitoring service.  Get lots of quotes, and then combine the best ideas of the alarm sales people for your final installation.  And you can negotiate the price and term.
3. Close all Windows and Doors, even on the 2nd floor.
4. Keep valuables out of your Master Bedroom.
5. Thieves know all the usual hiding places.  In bedrooms women's clothing drawers seem to be a common place for hiding items.
6. Keep a record of all valuable items off site.
7. Burglars love to steal electronics (game devices, laptops, cameras, camcorders, etc.), gold, cash, and ID stuff such as passports, Drivers License, blank checks, etc.  Keep valuables you don't need everyday in a safe deposit box. For laptops and phones, consider adding some type of remote tracking program (there are even free ones). For your laptop, set up a guest account as a honeypot.
8. Call the police and ask for a home inspection (very useful - police are often targets at their homes for burglaries due to firearms).
9. Case your own home.
10. For upstairs windows, add a bar/dowel to keep them closed.  This way they can't be pried open.  I understand the window locks ones with screws on them, can be easily defeated.
11. Broom stick handles for sliding glass doors.
12. Add a 2nd Siren to your burglar alarm (burglars hate noise, and one alarm can be knocked off the wall quickly).
13. Add a wireless caller to your burglar alarm (phone wires can be cut).
14. Keep an extra car at home (when our house was robbed, the car was in the shop).
15. Leave a radio on at home, when your not there.
16. Use an automatic lights timer at night.
17. Deadbolt your outside door.
18. Pick up/stop newspapers while your on vacation.
19. Deadbolt between your garage and home (thieves will often come through a garage door).  A trick I heard was they will open the garage, drive a van in there, close the door, and then load up the van with your household items.
20. Shrubberies with thorns under windows.
21. Add Video Cameras to your house (and put the DVDR in a safe place).  Wireless Video's need to be encrypted.  Test your cameras when you install them to see the resolution (for example if you have one pointed at the street, make sure it can read the license plate).  Costco and Amazon often have deals).  Per a Security Vendor in my Industrial complex, the quality of Video Camera vary.  You can also set up the video so you can remotely monitor them with a computer/smart phone.
22. Secure your phone line and electrical if accessible from the outside.
23. Consider getting noise sensors inside, since burglars do break windows to get in.
24. Don't forget to protect your 2nd story (burglars will break into your 2nd floor if they see an alarm sign).
25. Get insurance on everything you own.
26. Don't make it apparent from the outside if your Asian (shoes outside, mirror over the door, statues of Chinese Gods).

Useful Links:

8 Easy (and Cheap) Ways to Prevent Home Theft - US News & World Report

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/151637_how-to-prevent-home-break-ins-and-theft

How to Prevent Home Burglary – 8 Ways to Reduce the Risk of Someone Breaking Into Your House - Money Crashers

Theft Prevention - Travelers

Labels: chinatown