Dos and Donts to Secure Your Home From Robbers:

DON'T:

Install but not use an alarm system. Virtually every upscale house that is robbed has some type of alarm that is not utilized.

DO:

Arm the alarm system even if you are only running out for 15 minutes. Experienced thieves watch neighborhoods and note when residents go to work or run errands and how long they are likely to be away. They're ready to move the minute you leave.

Get a zone alarm that has room-by-room settings. You can leave the bedroom alarm on when you're in the dining, for example.

The best alarms offer multiple layers of protection, motion, heat light sensors, etc.

DON'T:

Posting alarm signs that indicate what alarm company you are using. Burglars can buy diagrams on how the systems are hooked up and can easily defeat them..

DO:

Buy generic signs that read, 'This house is protected by an alarm system. As long as it does not give specific information, it can be a good deterrent.

DON'T:

Leave lights on. A light that stays on all the time is no more of a deterrent than a dark house. Use electric timers that turn lights on and off in various parts of the house at different times. Web retailers and home-improvement stores sell motion detectors that turn on lamps or appliances if somebody enters the house.

DON'T:

Conceal valuables in the bedroom. It's the first place thieves look. Most robbers spend 15 minutes or or even less in a house.More than half of the time is spent in the bedroom, checking the obvious hiding spots, an underwear drawer underneath the mattress high closet shelves, etc. Don't hide all of your valuable items in one place. A burglar is not likely to get everything if you spread out items in different locations.

DO:

Keep money or jewelry you rarely wear in a safety-deposit box. Conceal other valuables in spots where thieves don't think to look, like the garage, or above dropped ceilings. Or hide valuables in the deep freeze or in diversion safes made for this purpose.

DON'T:

Get a big dog. A doberman or German shepherd might seem scary, but thieves know better. Most big dogs, unless they're real guard dogs, don't bark much. What you want is a "yapper," a little dog that makes a lot of noise when disturbed.

DON'T:

Conceal windows with landscaping. Tall shrubs give burglars a safe, dark place to force open windows without being seen. Trim your shrubs to below window level.