Home Security Advice

Don’t let the hustle and bustle of the holiday season make you careless in protecting your home from potential criminals. Criminals take advantage of the holiday season to prey on those who are unsuspecting, distracted, or generous.

Sheriff Tregre cautions homeowners, “Home invasions are on the rise. Take some time to assess the security of your home this holiday season.”

Home invasion is a form of armed robbery where criminals break into homes through locked or unlocked doors or windows with the intent to commit a crime (such as robbery, rape, assault or any violation of law against the occupant(s). Home invasion differs from burglary because there is violent intent. Typically, home invaders target the resident, not the residence.

This relatively new crime trend is difficult to track because the crime might be filed as burglary, robbery, assault, or battery. Because of this it is difficult to keep the public informed of the number of incidents in the community. That being said, by looking at just one of these categories, burglary, some alarming figures command attention. According to the FBI’s Crime in the United States report, there were 46,246 burglaries in Louisiana last year. In addition, one out of every five homes will encounter a violent home intrusion or burglary.

Sheriff Tregre advises, “The best weapon you have against home invasion is education. Now that you are aware of the facts, with just a little time and precaution, you can make your home safe for the holidays.”