[Christien]

A friend works in industrial security, but does some residential as well. He says the same thing people above are saying: #1 big dog. #2 good lighting. #3 good locks. He said it's surprising what a high %age of thieves these 3 things will deter. Of course, a professional thief will bypass all of these easily (well, maybe not a big doberman or something) but the vast majority of robberies can be prevented with simple deterrents.