Police Say Break-Ins Becoming Common; What You Can Do To Deter Burglars

A Tulsa man is recovering from gunshot wounds after police say burglars kicked down his door just before lunch.

Tulsa Police say it's happening often, but we've found some things you can do to help make your home more secure.

One of those things is installing a glass storm door, but they're a little more on the expensive side. If you're looking for a cheaper option, you can buy a bar that slides under the doorknob and prevents people from kicking in your door.

Tulsa Police are looking for the shooter who kicked in the door at the home in the 2800 block of South 118th East Avenue.

Officers say the burglar rang the doorbell. When no one answered, he barged in and came face-to-face with the homeowner, who was shot in the hand and arm.

"The number of burglaries that are armed now - we're seeing home invasions - and that, I think it is a dangerous trend. And I don't think it's one that's going to go away anytime soon," said Tulsa Police Sergeant Robert Rohloff.

11/5/2013 Related Story: Police: Tulsa Homeowner Shot During Burglary Attempt

"Unfortunately there's a lot of break-ins going on, and we get a lot of folks in here looking for solutions," said Buck Jensen, who is a long-time employee of Home Depot.

While you should always call police if you feel someone is breaking in, Jensen has a few tips to deter criminals from coming inside your house.

One suggestion is buying a lock and metal door reinforcer or putting a security plate on your door jamb.

"Your dead bolt goes in here, and if they kick, if there's nothing here to protect it. That little piece of wood is the only thing keeping your door secure, so with all your new doors, we put the security plate on here," Jensen said.

Jensen also recommends using long screws.

"What I would do is get at least a two-and-a-half-inch screw, go through the door jamb. And on the inside of the door jamb, there's going to be a little space. Go through that space and you want to go into the two-by-four," Jensen said.

He also recommended staying away from wooden doors. They're a thing of the past and they're very easy for criminals to kick in.

"See how thin this panel gets here? If that was wood, you could kick that in on a wood door. Fiber glass is really, I think, the way to go, myself," Jensen said.

Police also recommend you get a sign saying you have an alarm system, even if you don't actually have a security system.