These days, you really have to be careful about how you present yourself to the world for so many different reasons. Not only do you have to look respectable to those around you, but you also really have to be careful to make sure you don't appear to be too wealthy. People who appear to have more resources than many others, often become victimized by criminals who are looking for wealthy targets. Yet you can't always predict how other people will interpret your appearance, which is why it is so important to increase your home security. By taking some intentional preventative steps, you can easily make your home better protected so that you won't be very damaged in case a break-in or robbery occurs in your home.

If you appear to be well-dressed or drive a nice car or motorcycle, you may be targeted by potential thieves. And with the economy as bad as it is these days, you really can't predict just who might decide to try to steal from you. The reality is that when people feel as though they can't meet their needs, they often turn to stealing to get what they want. So if you're out walking around, dressed up in an expensive-looking suit, talking on your iPhone, and walking over to your Volkswagen Jetta that is in perfect condition, you're a very tempting target for many criminals. In public places, they aren't very likely to attack you or rob you because the majority of thieves want to steal things from you without any struggle or violence. Muggings and carjackings just aren't as common as home robberies, and many thieves will simply follow you home to find out where you live. That way they can access whether you really are an easy target and decide what their next move will be.

Hopefully, you are the owner of a good home security system, which can really go a long way towards protecting your house. If a potential thief checks out your home and notices a sign indicating that you have a home alarm installed, they will be much more apprehensive and less likely to attempt to enter your home because they know they're probably going to get caught if they do. Alarms are probably the most effective theft prevention tools available because they're much more reliable and scary than a guard dog, which can be easily fooled or distracted. Thieves know that if they enter your home and trigger your home security system, the authorities will be instantly alerted to their presence and will be on their way to the house the thief has entered. The police and private security forces that might respond have a very good chance of catching the criminal and of preventing any further damage to your home from occurring. So although you may not have much control over whether a thief chooses you or your home to steal from, you can have much more control over the situation if you have planned ahead and installed a simple home alarm.