HOUSTON – Is your home a target for thieves? KPRC Local 2 Investigates went out with an ex-convict turned security consultant to see what kind of things burglars see as invitations to break into homes.
Ex-serial burglar Bob Porteneir said many homeowners are making mistakes they don't realize.
"One of the things I look for is a door that's got glass in it," he said. "Ninety-nine times out of 100, that's going to be a single-cylinder deadbolt lock."
Porteneir said he almost always broke into homes through the front door. He said panes of glass are easy for a crook to break, reach in and unlock a door.
Overgrown hedges can help a thief conceal himself when breaking into a home because it gives him a good place to hide.
Portenier said there are some things that make a crook think twice about picking a home to burglarize. A barking dog, a hint of a security alarm or the sound of voices inside a home -- even from a TV or radio -- are enough to steer a burglar away.
"Why take the chance of going in on somebody and have a confrontation and a witness when you can go next door or down the street and not have a problem?" Porteneir said.