FOX 5 Special: Burglar Proof Your Home

ATLANTA (MyFOX ATLANTA) - The latest FBI crime numbers show a home is burglarized in the United States, once every 23 seconds. In a majority of those break-ins, the thief enters the home through the front door. According to experts there are simple ways to upgrade the security of a front door on a budget.

Home security video taken from a Metro Atlanta home shows thieves casually targeting one of the most vulnerable parts of a home.

"I didn't realize before, how unsafe it was. Until I found out one swift kick and everything can come down," said break-in victim Melissa Dobbins.

Dobbins was outside walking her dog, when her home was burglarized. Even though the door to Dobbins' home was locked and the alarm set, burglars got in and stole TVs and jewelry. The burglars were gone long before police arrived.

The thieves that struck Dobbins' home went in the through the front door.

"This entire frame broke. The door was open, I mean, it was just all gone," said Dobbins.

The latest FBI crime data backs up what happened in the case of Dobbins' burglary. Thieves most likely enter a home through a front door during the day, when no one is home.

Hadi Wahba runs a Roswell locksmith and security company. Wahba said with a little more than a screwdriver and a hundred bucks, a residence can be made substantially more difficult to break into.

Making a home safer can start with a few $0.17 screws. "Longer screws can absolutely make the difference," Wahba said.

Wahba said most developers use these cheaper, half inch screws to attach the metal strike plate, which attaches the lock and deadbolt to the door frame.

One strong kick can force those screws loose and destroy the frame, making the lock useless.

A three inch screw goes all the way through the frame and the wood support on the other side, strengthening the door jam and making it tougher to break through.

"The hinges need to be reinforced the same way," said Wahba.

Wahba suggested using just six more screws.

For more reinforcement, Wahba recommended spending about $75 on a five foot tall strike plate, which must be expertly installed.

The strike plate takes 13 screws, and makes it even harder to kick through the door frame. "It takes more kicks, slows them down and that's what you want," Wahba said.

According to Wahba, a burglar looking for a low-risk break-in won't want to spend a lot of time or effort on your door.

The element of surprise can also be helpful. Experts suggest buying a motion detecting light for your door, which can cost about $20. The adapter screws right into a light fixture and no other equipment is necessary.

Dobbins said that as quickly as thieves broke into her home, she learned how to make herself feel safer.

"It's so much more secure now, that's its not one swift kick and the frame breaks, because of the reinforcement here, the reinforcement here and the reinforcement here. So, it definitely makes me feel a lot safer," Dobbins said.

Security experts say that if you're willing to spend a little more money, your next step should be buying a new lock and the heavier the lock, the better. Experts suggest spending about $75 on the lock upgrade.