Residential Break-Ins are typically crimes of opportunity. While it is common for victims to feel a sense of violation, burglars generally have little, if any, personal knowledge of the people who live there. You can minimize your risk by practicing the personal safety and crime prevention strategies outlined below.
Since most residential break and enters happen during the day when the homeowner is not home, it is important to realize that there is little chance of you encountering a burglar, provided you do not do anything to hide the fact that you are home if someone knocks on your door. It is therefore important that you respond to all door knocks by speaking through a locked door, unless you recognize the person. This includes training your children to safely respond to the door knock by having them let you know that someone is there. In the event that someone acts suspiciously, this includes them asking for someone who does not live there, call the Police.