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Tips to keep the burglars out of your home

According to the FBI, the average burglar spends less than 10 minutes in your home and wants jewelry, cash and small items as fast as possible. The burglar is careful to make sure you're not home, running into you complicates the caper.

So, what can we do to make sure this person doesn't rob our house? We want our home to look like somebody is home.

"Leave a car out in the driveway," said Ed Macaulay of the Sacramento Police. "If you have an extra vehicle when trash day is done, make sure you take the trash cans in. Ttrash cans left out can make it look like there's nobody home and nobody's caring for the house.

"Also, with newspapers piling up on the stoop, it's a pretty good indication that no one is coming and going to the house. And have your yard manicured. Mow the lawn."

On the outside, don't leave clues that you're not there. Leave a radio on during the day or get a dog.

Last year, California led the nation far and away with in-home burglaries by over almost 5,000 more claims than Texas, Georgia, Illinois and Ohio, according to State Farm insurance.

According the Sac Police, most home break-ins occur in the middle of the day between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Burglars know that generally people who love in the home are at work and the kids are in school.

Maybe you've seen people driving a car around that aren't usually in your neighborhood looking in your driveway and circling around. Are you suspicious? Could they be casing your house timing a burglary?

"You know what your neighbors drive, generally, or what looks normal," Mccaulay said. "Take a picture from a distance. If you can jot down a license number even if you can't get the full license plate number get a partial with the technology law enforcement has today it's extremely valuable to us."

And one last startling statistic. If you've been robbed before, chances are the burglar will hit you again. The bandit now knows the layout of your home and that you're likely to replace the items stolen originally.

That also puts your neighbors at higher risk of break-in, too.

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