No one wants to feel unsafe in their own homes, but that’s the feeling many victims of property crimes experience following a burglary, theft, or other form of vandalism. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, there were 15.6 million property crimes on U.S. households in 2009, the most recent year for which figures were released.

What is Property Crime

Property crime is the unlawful taking of property or money that does not involve threatening or using force on the victim. Property crime encompasses motor vehicle thefts; arson; larceny and theft; burglary; electronic crimes like identity theft; vandalism; and white collar crimes, such as scams and fraud. Generally, property crimes are committed to obtain high-valued items, such as money, cars or much sought after automotive parts, electronics, cameras, jewelry and power tools.

The National Crime Victimization Survey found that theft is the most common property crime, with motor vehicle theft the most frequent property crime reported to police.

Home Security Measures

According to the National Crime Prevention Council, there are numerous measures individuals can take to safeguard their home, condo, or apartment from property crime. These efforts focus on exterior doors, windows, outdoor security and personal property. Among the tips offered by the National Crime Prevention Council in its home security list are: installing alarms or a home security system; using motion-sensor lighting; installing deadbolt locks on all exterior doors; hanging blinds, shades, or other types of window treatments to prevent people on the outside from seeing what’s inside your home; parking your motor vehicles in the garage or using anti-theft measures like a steering column lock, removable car radio, or immobilizer for off-street overnight parking; removing all personal belongings, laptops, portable GPS systems and packages from your car; securing other structures, like garages and sheds, with padlocks; locking up bikes, lawn mowers, grills, power tools and other valuables after each use; and obtaining proper identification before opening your door to anyone you don’t know, even if you scheduled an appointment with a service or delivery company.

Securing Sensitive Information In Your Home

You might think that your personal documents and information are safe in your home, but they’re not if you have them easily accessible in a drawer for a thief to find. Identity theft is not just an online crime; it could stem from criminals getting your personal information off mail you throw away, stealing mail out of your mailbox, or finding personal documents when committing a property crime. The Federal Trade Commission advises consumers to take these important steps to protect their personal information at home:

* Shred all mail that contains your name, address, or other personal identifying information. This includes credit card offers, bank and credit card statements, and sweepstakes or special offers that display your personal information.

* Keep your Social Security card, passport, financial information, PIN numbers and other valuable, personal identifying data locked up in a safe.

* Protect your computer with a firewall and software that prevents against computer viruses and spyware.

* Etch identification numbers onto all your electronics and other valuable equipment so they are easy to identify if stolen. Many local police departments offer this service.

* Protect yourself with credit monitoring.

* Create and maintain an inventory list of all your valuables and keep it secure in a safe deposit box or home safe. The personal inventory list can be created on a computer, complete with photos, and saved to an external storage device, or recorded using a video camera and saved to a DVD.

Property crime is often a crime of opportunity, but you can remove that opportunity by securely protecting your home and property.

No doubt there are some pretty savvy criminals out there who come up with all sorts of schemes to steal your identity. That is, they find ways to get your social security number, credit card information, bank account or other financial information, and documents or statements that include your name, address, account number and other personal details. According to a report commissioned by the Federal Trade Commission, about 8.3 million Americans were victims of some form of identity theft in 2005, the most recent year a survey was conducted, and the crime continues to cause problems for consumers, businesses and law enforcement. As daunting as the crime may be, identity theft is preventable. As the U.S. Department of Justice advises, individuals and businesses need to become more educated and aware of ways to prevent identity theft.

Identity Theft Basics

The U.S. Department of Justice defines identity theft, also referred to as identity fraud, as a federal crime where a person unlawfully obtains and uses another individual’s personal information in a manner that involves deception or fraud for economic gain or some other purpose. Personal information encompasses all forms of data that identify a person, such as a social security number, driver’s license number, telephone calling card number, credit card number and bank account information. With this identifying information, identity theft criminals can open up accounts in your name, take out loans, withdraw funds from your financial accounts, run up debt and commit crimes using your name.

How To Prevent Identity Theft

While we are all at risk for identity theft, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FB I) points out that there are things we can do to protect ourselves from becoming victims of identity theft. Here are some tips provided by the FBI and law enforcement experts:

* Never carry your social security card or documents containing your social security number in your handbag or wallet. And never write your social security number on a check.
* Shred documents (a cross-cut shredder is best) that contain personal information or identifying information.
* If going out of town for several days, stop your mail.
* Put a lock on your mailbox.
* Be discreet with personal information, credit card numbers and bank account information when talking on your cell phone in public or providing the information to a store or office clerk.
* Be careful about what you say about yourself and your lifestyle to others or while in a public setting. Friends also commit identity theft.
* Protect your computer from online identity theft schemes by installing a firewall, an anti-spyware program and anti-virus software.
* Sign up for credit monitoring.

Ways To Track Information You Give To Others

Unfortunately, your personal information is necessary for a plethora of everyday transactions. Employers, schools, stores, financial institutions, credit card companies and the like are among the types of businesses and organizations that require your personal information for identification purposes or to open up an account for you. While you have no control over how these third-parties store and protect your personal information, there are some measures you can take. The U.S. Department of Justice recommends the following:

* Ask the business or organization how they safeguard your personal information. If you are not comfortable with their methods, consider other options.
* Monitor your credit reports regularly. The three consumer credit reporting agencies are Equifax, TransUnion and Experian.
* Consider enrolling in a credit monitoring service or identity theft protection service which monitors your credit reports and performs Internet monitoring and other forms of monitoring to ensure your personal information is not being fraudulently used. Many identity theft protection services also offer identity theft insurance, which helps pays for lost wages and expenses that incur while resolving an identity theft issue.

When it comes to preventing identity theft, the key is being proactive. Take measures to lower your risk of becoming a victim of identity theft.