Nationwide Survey Examines Theft-Prevention Measures
I am On Your Side®
_________________________________________________________________________
Steve Uhlman | Sponsor Relations Sales Manager
Nationwide Insurance
614-332-4945
[email protected]
Minimize your risk and protect your personal to check on your home each day and make it look
property with these tips.
like someone is home. Ask them to bring in the
newspaper and move the trash cans to a different
Summer should be an easy, breezy season free from position. Thieves rely on darkness to keep them
troubles. Yet the rate of break-ins spikes during the
hidden from view; install motion-detecting lights to
warm months, according to both FBI statistics and
deter them. Don’t announce your vacation on social
Nationwide Claims data.
media. Keep windows and doors locked when you’re
not at home.
A recent Nationwide Insurance* survey reveals
that nearly eight in 10 homeowners use at least one
“Preventive measures only work if you use
common theft-prevention measure (e.g. alarm system,
them,” says Lore. “We want to ensure homeowners
deadbolt), but three in 10 do not use any, potentially
recognize the importance of taking those few extra
putting their loved ones and belongings at unnecessary steps to keep themselves, their families and their
risk.
belongings safe.”
“At Nationwide, we’re committed to protecting
our members and what is most important to them,”
explains Pete Lore, associate vice president of property
technical claims at Nationwide. “When you’re part of
the Nation, peace of mind comes with every service
we provide.”
Learn the facts about burglary and ways you can
help you minimize your risk and protect your personal
property.
FACT: According to the FBI, crime rises
between 6% and 16% in June, July and August.
Summer is an especially opportune time for burglars.
Many homeowners take vacations, leaving their houses
unoccupied and vulnerable to break-ins. And when
people are at home, they often keep windows and
doors open to catch a cool summer breeze, sometimes
forgetting to lock up when they go out or go to sleep.
Take extra precautions during the summer. When
you go on vacation, ask trusted friends or neighbors
6 West Virginia Farm Bureau News
FACT: The National Burglar & Fire Alarm
Association (NBFAA) estimates that one-third of
the time, burglars enter homes through the front
door.
There has been a dramatic rise in thefts over the
last 40 years. Still, 39 percent of homeowners admit
to leaving their doors unlocked about the same
amount or more often as their parents did when they
were growing up.
According to the NBFAA, almost a third of
thieves don’t force their way into a home—they
simply let themselves in through the front door.
Yet, just 15 percent of homeowners in Nationwide’s
survey correctly believe it’s the most common entry
point.
Always lock your windows and doors when you
leave the home—even if you’re running a quick
see Theft Prevention, page 8