I was talking to a friend the other day who works in the home security industry. He shared with me some surprisingly simple tricks to thwart burglars. The key is to make it inconvenient for the common thief. The first trick is to make it seem like the thief will have to deal with people. People are the most troublesome obstacle they face. A simple break-and-enter suddenly turns into a strategic planning operation once people are added to the mix.