Crime-Stopping Behaviors Criminals Hate To See
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If you’re worried about being targeted by criminals, you’re not alone. Many people who live in the US are worried about things like muggings, break-ins, and car theft. However, if you take the right precautions now you can save yourself from a possible run-in with a criminal later. Here are some tips to help you steer clear of criminals and to keep your property (and yourself) safe.
If you need to park your car in an unfamiliar area, especially one in a crowded downtown space, consider parking in a brightly-lit area. Even if this means you might need to walk a bit farther to get to your destination, parking in a brightly-lit place in plain view of multiple buildings can be a great deterrent for car thieves.
Thieves like to target vehicles in dimly-lit neighborhoods, out-of-sight parking garages, or in alleys that are hidden from view of nearby buildings. If you can avoid these areas when you’re parking, you’ll reduce the likelihood of your car being stolen or broken into. Whether you’re confident in your car’s burglar alarm or not, it’s always best to not have to use it at all.
Don’t make the mistake of walking alone through a dimly-lit area. Muggers and other criminals tend to target people who are isolated. The best way to convince criminals to leave you alone is to travel in a group with several other people. A criminal is unlikely to attack a group because there are too many ways for that to go wrong.
If you’ve got no choice but to walk alone, hold your cell phone in your hand and either call a friend or at least pretend to be on the phone. That way, if a criminal does try to approach you, you can quickly call the police – which should dissuade all but the most desperate of muggers from accosting you.
If you spend a lot of time away from home and you’re worried that a criminal might try to break in, you should invest in a home security system. Studies have shown that criminals are much less likely to commit crimes when they think they’re being watched. As such, you could cut down on the number of people interested in breaking into your home by installing a camera system.
Interestingly enough, the cameras don’t even need to be plugged in. The important thing is that any opportunistic criminal that sees your home should think that they’re being recorded. This will keep them far from your property, keeping you and your family safe.