Is your home an easy target for burglars?

7NEWS walked through several neighborhoods with a Douglas County sheriff's deputy to find out how to make a home uninviting to a burglar.

The first thing on your property that might catch a burglar's eye is the garage door.

"They're looking for easy ways in. They're looking for if there are garage doors open," said Ron Hanavan with the Douglas County Sheriff's Department.

And if the trash cans are left out that might mean the homeowners aren't there or left in a hurry.

"Trash cans are a huge indicator as when you're home, when you're not home," said Hanavan.

"I think since (my house) is a fairly new house, it's up to date on all the safety issues," said one homeowner 7NEWS interviewed.

For the most part that homeowner is right but nice, new neighborhoods often attract burglars. A better-than-average house just may have a big TV or stereo system inside.

"One of the good things to do is to be able to lock the gate in your yard. Even if you're carrying a TV or VCR, it makes it very difficult. You're going to have to jump this fence now," said Hanavan.

The idea is to make it cumbersome for burglars who like to move fast and not draw attention.

"Statistics show that if you can deter someone by four minutes -- they're going to leave your house and move on to someone else's," said Hanavan.

Something as simple as a piece of wood in the track of a sliding glass door is often enough to frustrate burglars.

Hanavan advises that you walk around your home and imagine how you might sneak in undetected. Are your window wells covered and unlocked? Are bushes and shrubs providing a hiding place for criminals? What about lighting?

"Lights are very important on your house. If you don't want to have the light on the entire evening make sure that, at the minimum, if there's some kind of movement, it has some kind of sensor that is going to turn that light on," Hanavan said.

Finally, don't hesitate to call police if you see something suspicious in your neighborhood. An officer can drive down your street and not know that it's out of the ordinary for that van to be parked in your neighbor's driveway. Only you and the other neighbors know that's fishy. When in doubt -- get a description of the vehicle or the people and call police.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office will go around your home and do a security check for free if you live in unincorporated Douglas County. All you have to do is call to set up a time. Contact them at (303) 660-7544 or through DCSheriff.net.

If you don't live in Douglas County, be sure to check with your local law enforcement to see if they offer neighborhood watch programs.