Yard Security Tips to Keep Intruders At Bay

Intruders often case a neighborhood before deciding which home to break. Police say some yard safety tips can help deter a burglar from targeting your property.

Landscaping Safety Tips:

• Make sure doorways, windows and porches are clear when planting bushes and flowers.
• Bushes can provide privacy, but they also give burglars a hiding place.
• Planting thorny bushes and shrubs near windows and along fences may dissuade burglars from targeting your home.
• Make sure large trees are pruned. A burglar will try to climb the lower limbs to the second story.
• Never hide spare keys under a rock, under a doormat, in a potted plant, or above the door.
• A well-maintained lawn tells burglars someone is home and cares about their property.
• Locked gates and well-kept fences can make it harder for a burglar to break into your home.
• Walks and driveways should be visible so no landscaping offers hiding places for burglars.
• Placing a "Beware of Dog" sign can help keep burglars from stopping at your home.

How do you burglar proof your yard? Tell us in the comments.