Nobody wants to be the victim of a crime. More particularly, nobody wants to be the victim of a crime in their home, the place where they want to feel safe and secure whatever is going on in the world. 

24/7 Tempo has created a list of the biggest deterrents for burglars, using data from insurance comparison company Confused.com. (These are the American cities with the lowest burglary rates.)

A big deterrent for burglars is a CCTV (closed-circuit television) camera. Having such a camera means that homeowners and business proprietors are serious about security, that the burglar may be caught in the act, and/or that there may be recorded evidence regarding his or her appearance and modus operandi. According to a survey by the Co-op Insurance, which interviewed 12 former burglars, CCTV cameras were the number one deterrent to breaking into a property. 

The sound of a barking dog also is a major deterrent. That dog may be a watchdog, or a guard dog, or even an attack dog. No burglar wants to take a chance that there’s a Rottweiler or Bullmastiff with a name like Savage or Voldemort waiting for him on the other side of the wall or door. 

And on that subject, strong, heavy doors send the signal that owners take security seriously and want to make life as hard as possible for the bad guys. 

A turned-on TV can thwart would-be thieves. That either means somebody’s home or may be. A lot of burglaries are crimes of opportunity. The burglars are looking for easy pickings and don’t want to tangle with anybody. Locked UPVC windows make it harder to commit the crime.

Click here to see the 18 best deterrents to protect your home from burglars

To determine the biggest deterrent for burglars, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the report “ Dogs and home insurance: what you need to know ” from insurance comparison company Confused.com. Deterrents were ranked based on a survey of former burglars as to what would be most likely to stop them from burglarizing a house.

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