What you can do to lower risk of your home being burglarized

SEATTLE -- Home burglaries tend to rise during the spring and summer months. What can you do to avoid becoming a victim?

Bob Norikane has never had any problems in his Ravenna neighborhood. But he reads a local blog, and he knows safety is a concern in the area.

“People have reported suspicious-looking people, and there have been a few houses broken into. So it's not like this area is immune to break-ins, it happens,” he said.

That's why he decided to invest in an alarm system recently.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, I live by myself, just seemed like a good idea,” he said.

Seattle police Sgt. John Hall said an alarm system is a good idea, because it's one way of making your home look like a risk to a would-be burglar.

“There was a consistent theme in burglary suspects that I interviewed: What they're looking for is homes that are easy to get into, that they don't have to worry about being caught in the process,” Hall said.

Hall said burglaries typically go up in the spring and summer months, because more people go on vacation and leave their homes unattended.

He said that's why you should stop your mail or newspaper delivery when going  away on trips.

He also suggested homeowners take a look at their front door. If someone was trying to break in, would a neighbor or someone driving by be able to see that?

“If you have shrubbery, things that make the front of your property look secluded, clear some of that debris, trim everything up,” Hall said.

Of course, the easiest thing a homeowner can do is keep their doors and windows locked -- that includes garage doors.

Just this month, Bellingham police have responded to 31 residential burglaries. They say in seven of the cases, burglars gained access through unlocked garages.

And last week, a burglary suspect in Bellevue was arrested. He admitted to at least five burglaries of unlocked garages in the past year.

Hall said crimes like those should have never happened.

“We always tell folks, if someone wants to get inside your home, they're going to get inside your home no matter what you do. But the thing is to make it as difficult as possible,” Hall said.