According to State Farm, Illinois lags behind only California, Texas and Georgia for home theft.

You may be heading out of town for the Fourth of July weekend. Make sure no one makes any unplanned visits to your house.

Our friends at State Farm sent over these tips for keeping your place intruder free while you're enjoying your trip.

  • Don't share your travel itinerary on social media. (This one will be the hardest for most to follow.)
  • Ask your neighbor for help. A full mailbox is a sure sign no one is home.
  • Store valuables in a safe deposit box.
  • Trim all trees and shrubs close to the house. Overgrown greenery is a great place to hide.
  • Keep valuables away from windows.
  • Install light timers.
  • Set up motion sensors.
  • Secure sliding doors.
  • Unplug unnecessary appliances.

The best advice I ever heard on this relates to an old joke. How fast do you need to be to outrun a cheetah? Faster than the person you're with. That's how you keep your house safe. Just make it safer than your neighbors.

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