I live in a pretty urban neighborhood (single-family houses, but still within the city proper), so we have a fair share of crime. Here are some things I do to deter it:
1. I have lengths of 1x2 wood wedged between the bottom sash of my double-hung windows and the top of the frame to keep them from being forced open (which was how the thief got in the one time my house was burgled -- I know this because he left the shovel he used leaning against the wall!). I should get security pins, but I've been too nervous to drill into my windows...
2. I have security film for my windows (so that a burglar can't easily get in by breaking the glass).
3. I joined my neighborhood's security patrol for $40/quarter (which pays off-duty police officers to patrol above and beyond the normal amount that they do on-duty). I display a yard sign for it. Also, the officer has to scan QR codes with his cellphone in various locations to "check in" so that we know he's doing his job, and I'm lucky enough that my mailbox is one of the check-in locations.
4. I have steel doors (that the previous owner picked -- when I re-do them I'll get a nice wood one instead), and long screws (into framing) for the strike plate and hinges. I should probably get an even stronger metal door jamb reinforcement device, but I haven't gotten around to it.
5. I keep my front porch, back porch, and basement door lights on 24/7 (they're a single CFL each, so the electricity use isn't that bad). I should get some motion detectors. (I should also install additional lights, especially since the side of the house that was broken into is the one that doesn't have a light already.)
Last year, less value was stolen in burglaries than by the police using asset forfeiture.
Holy shit! I knew it was bad, but not
that bad. Source?
Nobody has mentioned personal protection such as a firearm?
You mean those things toddlers use to kill themselves and others?
For home defense (as opposed to something you carry around with you when you go out), I've heard people recommend a pump-action shotgun (pump action rather than semi-auto because the burglar recognizes the "clack-clack" sound and gets the fuck out). As a useful side effect, such a thing is probably too long and heavy for a toddler to wield effectively. They might be able to pull the trigger, but would probably be pointing the barrel at the floor when they did so. It's still no substitute for being responsible enough to keep the gun away from the kid in the first place, of course...