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We're moving from a 3rd floor apartment to a house in a couple weeks and this is one of the things I am worried about. Up on the third floor I feel secure. Perhaps it is a false sense of security but whatever. And we also have two menacing looking huskies. Although they would probably lick the burglar to death instead of attacking.

The sliding glass door tip kind of made me crack up - if the person wants in, all the have to do is break it. If they want to be quiet, just tape it first.

I just own a gun

that chain lock maze looks hilarious though; I love it

Austin Police used to come out and check out your home and tell you have to secure it. The cop said there is your best deterrent - pointing to my barking dog. The point is they want to get in quick and undetected. Breaking glass, barking dog all give your neighbor's a chance to hear and be alerted to a problem.

I know they are expensive, but I highly recommend using this lock on all doors (including and especially from the garage): http://www.theultimatelock.com/about-the-lock.html

It's pretty easy to get around most entry prevention systems, locks, etc. The point is to make your home as difficult as possible for someone to break into and get back out.

Alarms are great, but I would go with a monitored system. Most homeowner insurance will give you a discount if it is tied in with fire and carbon monoxide alarms, so it may be worth it just for that.

Stay away from ADT. Most others are about the same, though and generally good.

Make sure not to leave any brooms, mops or tools outside or on a back porch, where someone could use them to break a window.

Barking dogs are excellent deterrents. Doesn't matter if it's a chihuahua or just a lab who'll lick anyone to death - if it barks, it draws attention, and burglars will avoid your house. Similarly, use pea gravel in any planting beds underneath windows. It crunches when you step on it.

Motion sensing lights, while usually ugly as homemade sin, can keep casual burglars from sniffing around your door.

Use 3" screws to secure strike plates on the jambs of all exterior doors. If a burglar can't get in with one kick, he'll probably move on.

I know it's safer to live with other people...and I have to say I DO feel safer living with my boyfriend...but last year a girl 3 houses down from me who lived with her boyfriend was stabbed to death in the MIDDLE of the day after she got home from class at noon. Never caught the guy. Jesus.

I had an apartment broken into. It SUCKED. The guy broke our back door while the neighborhood (almost entirely college students) was away for Spring Break.

I ask our neighbors to keep an eye out if we're out of town; they also water our plants, and we share a driveway so it's really hard to tell who's home when.
Also, studies have shown that houses with flowers in front get broken into less, particularly if the rest of the neighborhood has flowers too. Why? Because if there are flowers, there are people taking care of them, and probably also paying attention to the neighbors.

I would say that having a dog and making friends with your neighbors are both really good ideas, and not just for security.

Ha, I am watching the movie "Don't Say A Word" as I am typing this. The intruders just broke into an apartment with a chain lock. They passed bolt cutters through the crack in the door and clipped the chain. It took 3 seconds!