If several armed strangers kicked open the door at night, should you open the door or call 911?

In the past month, six home robberies happened in Columbia. According to the Missourian, Columbia police are trying to determine if those break ins are linked. The first four robberies happened in north of town during the night and the two latest ones happened in the southern part of town during the day.

Those homes were ransacked. The suspects took the money, some property and fled the scene. The victims was not injured. The police still worked on investigation and reminded the public to pay attention to home safety.

As robberies are becoming increasingly common, to know how to prevent one is essential to keep you safe. Below are some advice gatheredfrom the wikiHow.com.

• Make your house hard to break in.

It is important to create some sort of deterrent when burglars do break in. For instance, keep your shrubs low enough that burglars cannot hide there and so your neighbors can easily see what is happening outside. Thorny shrubs are also a great way of protecting of your house. Always close the blinds, so that thieves cannot decide if you have something worth stealing or not.

• Make your house unattractive for robbers

Always keep the lights on to indicate someone is home. Don’t put out expensive items to show that there is something worth stealing. Don’t leave a lot mail in the mailbox to show that you are not at home. Try not to have too much predictable routine in your daily life. Just make sure you don’t give obvious clues to show that you are not home.

• Consider tough glasses for your windows and an alarm system.

If you live in a neighborhood that’s prone to robbery, you might want to consider an alarm system, although they are expensive. You can install security window films to ensure the glasses are hard to shatter when they are smashed. Installing motion lights outside your house could also be a good idea.

• If the robbers enter your house, always cooperate.

If armed robbers entered your house, inform them that your intention is to cooperate. This is not the time to play a hero and try to defeat them. Don’t try to fight! Make it obvious that you will given in to their demand. Cooperating can keep you calm and gain more chances of surviving. Keep in mind that the incident will be over sooner if you meet their demands.

• Try you best to stay calm.

Only if you stay calm, you can focus on protecting yourself. You need to prepare for the worst scenario. If you are prepared for scared and crazy actions from the robbers, you can be more focus on how to keep yourself safe from harm.

• Stay calm and call the police after the robbery

You need to call the police as soon as possible and it is better to call your therapist or doctor, too. Remain calm after the incident. Try to write down all the things you can remember about the robbers, just so you don’t forget the details.