6 Tips to Better Secure Your Home, According to a Navy SEAL

Each year, there are reportedly 2.2 million burglaries that occur in the U.S. alone. That's one every 15 seconds. Security companies use that fact to scare you into purchasing the best alarm and surveillance systems money can buy. If you want to spend all your hard-earned cash on that sophisticated gear, go ahead — that's entirely your choice.

But, instead of going out and breaking your bank on enhancing your home's security, former Navy SEAL Clint Emerson, author of 100 Deadly Skills: The SEAL Operative's Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous Situation, wants to show you a few cheap, simple tricks that'll help protect your family.

1. Make your property appear unpredictable

Intentionally display evidence of having children or dogs in your home. When your home has a great element of unpredictability — both children and dogs can make a lot of noise at a moment's notice — burglars will stay away.

Is it be a pit bull or a cute, little poodle? There's no way to know.

2. Reinforce your exterior door frames

Burglars like to kick in entrances or pry them open with crowbars. By drilling in a few extra wood screws into your door's frame, you'll increase its sturdiness. Make sure you reinforce above and below the lock plates.

Also, make sure you have solid door locks. Locks don't keep intruders out entirely, but the better the lock, the longer it'll take to bypass, giving you time to prepare.

3. Have some security signage on the perimeter

Security stickers on your windows and signs posted on your front lawn show thieves that you might have your house wired — even if you don't. You can get these signs simply by having a sales representative come to your home for a consultation.

There are some good security companies out there, so you may want to consider purchasing their services. Either way, it's free advertisement for them if you post a sign, so they'll be happy to provide.

Not today, bad guys.

(100 DEADLY SKILLS)

4. CCTV cameras

Closed-circuit television cameras are relativity inexpensive and can be found easily on Amazon.

If you're going to spend cash on cameras, make sure they're high enough quality to ID an intruder. If your cameras' video quality is too pixelated, it'll do you no good.

5. Light up your property

Keeping the exterior portions of your home well-lit takes away any nighttime concealment factor from someone who is looking to break into your home.

Since bad guys don't want to be seen, blanketing your home with 360-degrees of light should provide added safety.

Good luck not being seen lurking around this well-lit home.

6. Use you neighbors as a security resource

A burglar will almost always look to your mailbox to see if you've let it pile up for a few days — it often means nobody's home. If you know you're going out of town, ask a trusted neighbor to pick up your mail and to keep an extra eye on the place.

If they help you, make sure you repay them in kind.

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