Summer is the most important time to focus on home security because these are the months when you leave your windows open, go on vacation, and deal with children coming in and out of the house.  Here are some good tips for reducing your risk of crime:
Invest in Timers – make people think you’re home when you’re not.
Don’t Neglect the Second Story – Burglars can almost as easily enter a second floor window as a first floor one. Keep windows locked at all times you are not at home.
Mount Outdoor Lights – If your front and back yards are sufficiently lighted, thieves will probably move on to a more vulnarable home, so consider mounting several outdoor flood lights.
Use a Safe – If a thief does enter your home, protect your valuable personal belongings and lock them in safe. Make it as difficult as possible for the safe to be removed from your home.
Protect Sliding Doors – installing obstructions from the inside will help keep burglars out even if they successfully get past the lock. You can also install a quality security chain mounted on the door and the wall jamb.
(source: Steve Thompson, YouDoItSecurity.com)
