DENVER -- Burglaries often happen in the daytime hours rather than at night, and with the holiday's approaching, thousands of people in the Denver metro will be leaving their homes to travel.
But, Officer Sharon Avendano with the Denver Police Department said they could happen anytime. Our partners at the Denver Post reporton average, 12 burglaries are happening every day in Denver.
"They'll look for anything that's easily accessible, electronics because that's easily pawnable," Avendano said.
You don't have to spend a ton of money to protect your home.
Avendano offers these tips to protect your home and deter burglars:
- Buy alarm system decals for your windows
- Use motion activated lights for outside
- Fake tv glows
- Leave a radio on inside during the day
- Keep your yard trimmed, so it looks like your home isn't abandoned
- If you're leaving for a trip, cancel your newspaper and mail delivery, so it looks like you're not away
- Install window and door alarms
Denver7 found inexpensive window and door alarms at a hardware store for $11.
"Burglars don't want to hear a loud noise and they don't want to draw attention to themselves," Avendano said.
Ted Bruntzel is an owner at Pro Tech Key and Locksmith. He said break-ins tend to happen in the back of homes.
"The whole name of the game is to slow them (burglars) down as much as you can getting in," said Bruntzel.
He recommends three other gadgets that can help keep criminals out.
- A door guardian
- A dual security bar
- If you have a glass door, Bruntzel recommends a double-sided deadbolt
"It takes a key to function that. If someone does break your glass they simply can't just reach around the corner and throw a thumb turn to get into your house," he said.
These gadgets cost under $30.