I stay in an area where a lot of burglaries happen quite frequently. What is the best way to stay safe?

How are they occurring? Through the doors? Windows? Doors can have extra locks, deadbolts and long screws through the strike plate. Windows can be pinned although egress in case of a fire could be a concern. From a purely personal standpoint, a dog or burglar alarm may be beneficial. Some people would argue a sawed off but legal length shotgun would be an option.

If you are staying at this location. So you must be careful as you should have the right door window of a house.

Agree, In Atlanta Georgia, I had bars on windows, security doors. Metal door and frames. We had security alarm system. And a dog.

Surveillance cameras are also worthwhile and relatively inexpensive, but you need to take measures to slow the bad guys down. It is popular in many areas for more than one person to break in with such force (kind of like a swat team-called home invasions) that they overtake the homeowner before he/she knows what's happening, especially if that homeowner is sleeping.
I read newspaper accounts all the time even around my small town, of people being awakened with a gun or knife already at their throat. A well designed alarm system (self install kits are available for as little as $ 500 to $ 600) is most important. But once you are alerted by the alarm, you have to be prepared to defend yourself and I know of no better device than the option suggested by ma0641, unless maybe a legal automatic rifle (properly secured, but readily accessible).
The more secure you can make the home appear from the outside, the less likely they will choose your house.
The motivation for taking precautions and being ready, is to imagine what it feels like to be awakened at 3 AM with a knife to your throat or a gun to your temple. Having a fire escape plan is just as important.

Locks on my doors, a big dog, and an AR-15 ready to go. This is how I sleep at night.

I considered an alarm but my dog handles that well enough.

I have a small barks-a-lot. I hear all the time about dogs being shot.
So barking is my first detection mode. I also have a motion light, but don't like it because it is too sensitive.
My driveway is gravel. I can hear anyone driving in.
No big bushes next to the house.
I have an old 22. Right now it seems to be jammed open. And I don't keep it loaded, so I'd need a few seconds to do that.
Keep a high beam flashlight by your bed. If you turn it on, put it on a table or bed and move back and sideways. Anyone shooting at you is a bit more likely to miss. They can't see anything else if all else is dark.

My theory is that if intruders really want to get in, they will. What you do next is what counts.

You are right on odin, and Joy you are almost there but get a better weapon- not easy to do where you live, though.
Even with a well operating 22, you are going to have to hit a very vital organ ( 1 in a thousand in the conditions you would likely encounter). If it is too difficult there to get a good handgun, you can probably still get a hunting rifle with some knock down power, fairly easily?
Odin has the best weapon for the type of invasions I have been reading about, and I hope to come by one of those type weapons one of these days.

Small recoil, 22 mag revolver Ruger or Taurus. Easy to accurately shoot .

Be very careful. Don't you have dogs at your home? It would be good if you get a guard dog. Actually, burglaries happen frequently in my area too. I am considering a home security system. One of my friends has installed one recently. He says it works great! He receives an email with pictures whenever someone approaches his home while he is away. He says it is a fantastic home security system which has the provision of live two-way voice communication. I think you need something like this. So whenever someone comes to your home while you are away, you could know that and can avoid the stranger entering your home. So I highly recommend you to go for a home video surveillance system.

Pump or semiautomatic Shotgun with birdshot, not buckshot is the best home defense firearm... birdshot doesn't have the mass to penitrate the walls of your house and the neighbors house... you don't have to score a direct hit on anything vital... and even if you wing them and they get away odds are they are going to need medical attention and will get caught then. Birdshot has hundreds of pellets all of which will penitrate the skin....buckshot has roughly 5 - 9 pellets the size of .38 caliber rounds that WILL penitrate walls of your house and the next.

I'd also go with video survielance... an keep the recording device someplace hard for them to find. So they don't carry it off with them.


A yappy dog is also good too as they might make enough noise to encourage them to break into your neighbors instead of yours. If you have a larger breed of guard dog...make sure your lease allows them and even if they do...make sure your insurance will cover it if they bite someone not breaking into your house....as you will be liable for that.

Or do what I did... fork over the extra money to move to a nicer neighborhood.