Is anything more upsetting than realizing that thieves have not only broken into your home but they have also made off with valuable items? There were 53,219 break and enter incidents in Quebec in 2010. These offences mainly occur Monday to Friday, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Here are a few tips from Assurances Groupe Vézina on ways of preventing home theft.

1. Always lock your doors and windows

• Choose solid wood and metal clad doors that are equipped with a 2.54-cm (one-inch) deadbolt.
• Use a bar to secure the patio door.
• Make sure all windows (including skylights) are equipped with a locking system, and install a piece of wood in sliding windows, if they are not equipped with a metal security bar, to prevent them from being opened.

2. Have your home equipped with an alarm system that’s connected to a central monitoring station, and set the alarm every time you go out. Notify your service provider if you are going to be away for an extended period, and provide the contact information of a person you trust, whom you have asked to keep an eye on your home while you are away.

3. Secure the outside of your home

• Make sure your house number is clearly visible; police officers or other emergency services personnel should be able to easily identify your home.
• Make sure all the doorways to your house and shed (including temporary fixtures during the winter months) are well lit. The use of motion detectors is recommended.
• Lock away ladders and tools that could be used to gain entry to your home.
• Store items such as lawn mowers, bicycles, snow blowers, etc. out of sight. If you leave your snow blower outside, secure it with a chain and padlock.
• If you have a new TV, stereo, computer, etc., don’t leave the empty box in plain view. Keep it hid!

4. In case of extended absence

In addition to the tips provided above, there are a few more things that you can do to keep thieves at bay:

• Ask someone you trust to drop by the house a few times to make sure everything is okay, pick up your mail, shovel your front entry, mow the lawn, etc.
• Install timers to turn lights on and off inside the home to make it seem as though you are there.
• Make no mention of your absence in your voice mail message or on social media.

Assurances Groupe Vézina is there to help you prevent