The first thing is to make life hard for would-be burglars. You don't have to turn your house into a bank vault, because most burglars are opportunists. If your house presents them with obvious difficulties, they'll look elsewhere for an easier target.

Good landscaping design can actually discourage the bad guys. Don't give them a place to hide while they work on a door or a window.

"People in new areas want to duplicate what older neighbourhoods look like, so they buy the tallest trees and biggest shrubs they can," says Const. Marc Dumont of the Crime Prevention Unit of the Calgary Police Service.
He's all for attractive landscaping, but warns "We have to be careful that we don't create an opportunity for thieves. If I'm standing outside my front door and I can't see the roadway or my neighbour, then my neighbour can't see me.

"You should have lines of sight to other residences, because your neighbour can be your best security," he says.

"There's no need to be a nosy neighbour, but you should be familiar with who's in the neighbourhood and whose cars belong where, so that when you do see something unusual you can at least take notice of who's coming and going," Dumont says.

Neighbours looking out for each other are the first line of defence. The Calgary Block Watch Council (at 509-2565) can advise if there's a Block Watch organization in your neighbourhood, or help you get one started.
Good outdoor lighting, especially around vulnerable doors and windows, is another deterrent. Motion detector lights can alert neighbours that someone's moving around the house. Install the lights at least eight feet off the ground so they can't be tampered with. Aim the sensor and set the sensitivity low enough that the lights won't be set off by every breeze through the branches – and aim the floodlights away from neighbours' bedroom windows. 

Dead-bolt locks are the basic minimum for home security. A sturdy lock, plus a door, hinges and jamb strong enough to stand up to a hard kick, will make many burglars re-think their plans.

If there's glass within 42 inches of a dead-bolt lock, make sure it's shatter-resistant, so a burglar can't reach through broken glass to unlock the door. You can get double-cylinder locks that also require a key to open from the inside, but remember you don't want to be looking for a key to get out if the house is on fire.

Make a habit of checking doors and windows whenever you're leaving the house unattended. "Surprisingly, in this day and age, some people still are not in the habit of locking their doors," says Pete Karageorgis, public affairs supervisor for State Farm Insurance in Canada.

"It's better to be cautious and make sure your doors are locked, and your windows closed and secured properly any time you're away from your house. This applies even if you're just making a quick trip to the store. It doesn't take much time for a thief to break into a house," Karageorgis says. 

Never let a would-be burglar know for sure whether you're at home or away. Some ways to keep them guessing:
• If you have a garage, always put your vehicles away and close the door. Cover the garage window, too, so a burglar can't peek in to see whether all the cars are away.
• If you're away overnight, put a few lights on timers, and have a clock radio turned up loud. Burglars know this trick, but they can't be sure it is a trick.
• Forward your phone calls. Some burglars call to see whether anyone's home.
• If you'll be away for more than a day, have a trusted neighbour pick up mail and newspapers. For longer absences, arrange for yard maintenance or snow clearing.
• If you have a designated outdoor parking spot, ask a neighbour to use it sometimes while you're away.
• Far-fetched as it may sound, ask a neighbour to use your garbage cans. Some burglars actually check for garbage as a sign that someone's home.
• The general rule is this: do whatever you can to make your home look the same whether you're in it or away.

The ultimate line of defence is a security alarm system. A basic system, installed and monitored, typically costs about $20 a month.

Motion detectors are available to monitor outdoor spaces, says Vince Aiello, sales manager for United Security. However, he doesn't recommend them for residential use because they turn in too many false alarms.
For residential use he recommends sensors that detect when a door or a window is opened more than an inch, plus motion detectors in key locations inside the house.

Motion detectors are much better than they were 20 years ago. "Now you can have a cat or a dog, depending what the weight is, that will not set it off. I have five or six motion sensors at home, and my dog has the run of the house, but he never trips the alarm. Fifteen or twenty years ago, he'd be setting off alarms all day long," Aiello says.

When the alarm is set, it sounds off when an intruder is detected, and also signals the alarm company's monitoring station. (The rightful owners have a few seconds' grace after they open the door to enter a security code before the alarm sounds.)

An alarm system can also be equipped with fire, flood, carbon-monoxide and low-temperature detectors.

"In Calgary we've been selling a lot of low-temps for snowbirds. If they go out of town and the furnace isn't working we would dispatch a keyholder to get the house heated again," Aiello says.
Water detectors that report when the basement concrete gets damp can save homeowners a major bill if a washing-machine hose bursts. (Alarm systems notify the monitoring station what kind of problem has come up so the right kind of help can be sent)

Panic buttons, which immediately sound the alarm, are included in alarm control panels. They're also available as remotes that can be carried in a pocket.

Motion detectors are also useful for seniors and invalids, because the detectors can report when there's been no movement inside the house for a period of time.

Alarm systems require a lot of wiring, but skilled installers can usually keep it invisible. "Generally, more than 90 per cent of our homes have wired installations," Aiello says. For difficult locations, wireless detectors are available, but wired systems are cheaper and more reliable.

There are insurance angles to home security systems. "Some insurance companies, State Farm included, offer a bit of a discount on home insurance if someone has a monitored alarm," Karageorgis says. 

"Insurance policies have requirements about keeping a minimum temperature in a house to prevent freezing pipes. If you're going away in winter for a prolonged period of time, typically the insuance company wants to know the homeowner has taken steps to insure that someone responsible will check in on their property to make sure the heat's maintained," he says. Check with your insurance company to see whether a low-temperature alarm is acceptable.  NL