Security expert reveals where burglars look first in your home

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Have you ever wondered where burglars are most likely to look first if they get inside your home? Some common hiding spots may not be as secure as homeowners think.

Cliff Lent is a consultant for Global Threat Solutions, an Executive Protection company. He says burglaries are typically a quick crime.

“Typically, it’s a very quick crime. They don’t linger and spend a lot of time there…it’s good for a homeowner to know what areas are targeted by thieves,” Lent said.

Beyond the loss of valuables, it can also leave a large emotional impact.

“It’s an incredible invasion in privacy. Even if you’re not home, it tends to shake people because your most intimate spaces are violated,” he said.

If a burglar does get inside, Lent said they already know exactly where they’re going first.

“The number one location that a burglar would want to go to is the master bedroom,” Lent said.

Bedside tables, undergarment drawers, jewelry boxes, and under the mattress are the most popular spots people hide their valuables, and burglars know that.

Lent said homeowners should instead hide things in clever places, like fake pantry cans.

“You might get a jar that looks like a Jif jar, it has the same label, but the bottom unscrews, and you can put valuables inside of it,” he said.

But be aware, if you have kids, your clever hiding place could backfire.

Lent said a great spot to hide valuables is a small pouch hanging in a closet.

“This is a way to slow down a burglar and give yourself more options of hiding places,” he said.

Most people love to leave prescriptions out in the open so they remember to take them, but it’s probably a good idea to only leave out a week’s worth at a time so you don’t lose your entire supply.

Still, the real goal is to stop someone from getting inside at all, Lent said.

“Prevention is the best measure…you never want them coming through your door,” he said. “Burglaries are down, thankfully, in Richmond, where that’s great news. But the economy is difficult. Gold prices are increasing, silver prices are increasing. So that means the motivation for a burglar is also probably increasing when people get desperate, they look for an easy fix. And so take those precautions.”

Lent said it’s about having multiple layers of protection to deter a burglar.

Motion lights, visible cameras, trimmed landscaping and even a dog can make all the difference.