Six seconds is all a thief needs to break into your home

BRANDON, Fla. - According to Hillsborough County Deputy Will Menendez, it only takes a burglar a matter of six seconds to break into your home.  

Police say the proof is in an online video that shows a break in.

Dave Roe knows all too well how it feels to have his home broken in to.

"From the looks of the pry, they had three tries. It took them three tries," said Roe, looking at the backdoor of his Brandon home. 

Law enforcement is concerned over the internet video making the rounds. It shows burglars a quick, new way to break in to your garage by simply using a common household item.  Deputy Menendez took us around Dave Roe's home to show us how to prevent it and future break-ins, and it only costs a few cents.

The most vulnerable part of your garage door is the manual release. Just because it's inside doesn't mean it can't be used against you.  Deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Crime Prevention Unit tell homeowners to cut just above the plastic handle on your garage door's manual release. 

"Or if you're able, tie the handle around the latch so it doesn't hang down," Menendez said.

Burglars are hooking onto that handle, amazingly from the outside, in as little as six seconds. The windows on your garage door make it even easier to pull off.  It helps the burglar guide his break-in tool. 

Next step, safety experts say is securing the release latch up top. Use a plastic cable tie or wire to immobilize the latch so it cant be popped and opened from the outside.

 Even if locked, your screened-in porch is vulnerable. To fix that problem, grab two screws from your tool box. 

"Typicaly we just take two screws, one for each door. You just put it halfway in the middle of the track.  It allows the door to slide freely but it prevents it from sliding up. That way no one can pry it or pry it off the track,"  Menendez said.

The last thing to secure is the doors to your home.  Dave Roe had his windows and doors wired with an alarm system, but something police say is cheaper is doubling the length of your deadbolt screws with 3" inchers.  It makes it harder for the bad guys to kick in the door. 

Roe now uses these safety tips to guard his home, but it's a lesson he learned the hard way. 

"You kind of have to get in the mind of the criminal and say 'OK, how can I prevent someone coming through this door," Roe said.

If you would like the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office come to your home for a free home security survey of your property, call them at (813) 247-8115