Two Massachusetts municipalities have suffered through a recent spike in break-ins and robberies – and thieves have made off with items ranging from laptops and iPods all the way up to professional business equipment. Even more worrisome are cases where break-ins are reported but no theft has occurred, causing residents to fear the true intentions of those involved.

The incidents, which have been piling up in Newton and Carlisle, should remind homeowners and business proprietors of the importance of protecting their properties – and families – from intrusions by installing high quality burglar alarm systems that can serve as deterrents to potential thieves.

Someone who’s up to no good is more likely to skip over a home or business if he sees that it features prominent signs or stickers advertising the alarm company that monitors the property. That’s because it’s much less risky to target buildings that don’t boast this type of security coverage.

How else can you be sure that your property doesn’t make for an appealing target that could catch the eye of the same type of thieves that have been working through Newton and Carlisle? There a number of simple steps you can take that should dial down the curb appeal of your home, office or workplace for burglars:

• Lock your car doors, even if it’s parked in the garage. Thieves love to take advantage of the false sense of security that a garage can provide vehicle owners, especially if the keys are hung up on the wall just beside the door.
• Install an access control system at work. Knowing exactly which employee was the last out – or the first in – can sometimes help you pinpoint behaviors that need to be corrected to help theft-proof your place of business.
• Light it up. A dark home is an inviting home to potential burglars. So keeping a few lights on inside your residence at night, as well as installing motion sensor-activated floodlights outside, can go a long way toward eliminating the shadows that facilitate break-ins.
• Be sure everyone knows how to use your alarm system. This goes for both employees and family members. If you can’t count on people activating your security system each time they leave your house or building, then it’s not offering you its full protection.
• Advertise your video surveillance capabilities. If a thief thinks his face might show up on camera, he’ll often move on to the next place of business. If you have video cameras installed in conjunction with your alarm system, be sure there are signs that make even casual passersby aware of this fact. If you don’t, then consider setting up a remote video monitoring system as soon as you can.