There is action you can take to make your home safer and more secure for you and your family.

Locks, lighting and alarms are means of protecting your home from intruders. As a bonus, many security upgrades will also make your home more convenient and comfortable. For example, a front porch light with a built-in motion sensor that activates the light when it detects motion will not only startle a would-be intruder, it also will provide ample light to avoid stumbling on a step. And, ample light makes getting the latchkey into the lockset easier.

Where do you begin when it comes to upgrading home security and safety?

Start by making a sketch of your home that notes the most vulnerable locations. Typically these include doors (including sliding patio and overhead garage doors), windows, dark spots around the home's exterior and patches of dense landscaping or heavily wooded areas.

All exterior doors should be from 1-3/8 inches to 1-3/4 inches, and of solid construction. They should also be hinged to swing in and fit securely in the opening. Doors that swing out are more vulnerable because the hinge pins are exposed to the exterior and can be removed. If you have doors that swing out, be sure they have non-removable hinge pins that contain a set screw that prevents the hinge pins from being removed when the door is closed.

In addition to the standard key lock, exterior doors should be equipped with a dead bolt. The two most common types of dead bolts are single-cylinder and double-cylinder ones. Single-cylinder dead bolts are operated with a key at the exterior and a thumb turn knob at the interior. A double-cylinder dead bolt requires a key at both the interior and exterior. An appropriate location for a double-cylinder dead bolt would be an exterior door that contains glass where an intruder could shatter it, and then reach in to open the door. Some communities will not allow double-cylinder dead bolts due to fire egress codes. Check with your local building department for more information.

Sliding patio doors traditionally have been a favorite of prowlers because they are relatively easy to break into. Over time, the latch on a sliding patio door can get out of adjustment, making the door difficult to lock and allowing it to become loose in the opening. Both the latch and the catch usually can be adjusted, using a screwdriver. You can further beef up the security of a sliding patio door by adding a small barrel lock at top or bottom of the door. The lock is anchored to the framing or floor with two screws. A hole (into which the barrel will fit) is drilled into either the top or bottom rail of the door. When the barrel is inserted into the hole, the door can neither slide nor be raised in the opening. A broomstick in the sliding patio door track is yet another simple and inexpensive method of preventing entry.

New, better-quality patio doors have multipoint locking systems that throw bolts into the head jamb, threshold and-or multiple points along the latch side of the door.

Garage doors, due to their size and configuration, present an entirely different set of problems. If your garage door is a one-piece, tilt-up model, it usually is equipped with two spring-loaded latches–one at either side of the opening. When it's locked, most kids can pop open one of these doors in an instant. For maximum security, add a latch with a single throw bolt at least at one side (and preferably at both sides) of the garage door. The latch should be securely bolted to the exterior of the door. A hole must be drilled into the jamb into which the bolt will fit. A padlock will prevent unauthorized access.

Sectional roll-up garage doors tend not to be as flimsy as are the one-piece, tilt-up models. However, without the proper locks and latches, they can be opened as quickly and easily. As with the tilt-up model, adding a latch with a single throw bolt and a padlock will help improve security. Many modern sectional roll-up doors have built-in latches mounted on the door's interior. The latch slides into a hole in the track, which prevents the door from being opened. Some newer automatic garage-door openers are equipped with a lockout feature that prevents the door from being opened by a transmitter.

As with sliding patio doors, most windows can be securely locked using the manufacturer installed latch–provided that it is secure and in good operating condition. A few minor adjustments, cleaning and lubrication will go a long way in keeping a window latch in good operating condition. A broomstick works well for sliding patio doors, but usually is too big for most window tracks. An alternative is a wooden dowel that fits in the window track snugly between the window frame and the frame of the operable section of the window. Even better is a nifty keylock that fits over the window track (on sliding- and single-hung windows) that will prevent the window from being opened. What's more, it can be used when the window is open slightly to allow a bit of ventilation on hot summer nights.

Prowlers thrive on poorly lighted areas around a home. Your best defense is a strong offense. Install motion-activated lighting at porches, paths, patios, driveways and other dark or potentially vulnerable locations. Low-voltage path and landscape lighting can deter an unwanted visitor from hanging out in shrubbery surrounding the house. Timers used to control interior and exterior lighting also can serve as a deterrent and give your home a lived in look while you are away.

Finally, pull out the pruning shears and tree saw. Use them to thin out shrubbery and tree branches to eliminate potential hiding places.