State Farm Releases Top States For Home Theft Claims

BLOOMINGTON, Illinois, Oct. 10 -- State Farm Companies, an auto, home and individual life insurance provider, issued the following news release:

October is National Crime Prevention month and State Farm wants consumers to be aware of how to help prevent home thefts, understand where they happen, and how we're here to help first responders.

In 2017, State Farm reported 74,676 home theft claims with an average of 6,223 claims per month. Here are the states with the most claims:

Top 10 States for State Farm Personal Property Theft Claims in 2017

1. California 11,477 claims

2. Texas 5,831 claims

3. Illinois 5,023 claims

4. Georgia 4,050 claims

5. Ohio 3,013 claims

6. North Carolina 2,372 claims

7. Washington 2,269 claims

8. Arizona 2,234 claims

9. Michigan 2,148 claims

10. Pennsylvania 2,084 claims

But there are here are things that can be done to prevent theft or at the very least, increase the likelihood that a burglar will be caught. Home invasions are reported more often when people are away from their home. Here are some tips

* Don't let packages or mail pile up on your porch or in front of doors.

* Don't post photos on social media saying you're away from home

* Keep doors and windows closed and locked

* Install bright lights above your home to limit hiding places

* Make sure valuable items are insured properly

* Remember to have a home inventory list home inventory list

* Install a home monitoring systems alert people to movement in their home and changes to air quality and temperature. Customers may qualify for a discount on their homeowner or renters insurance if they have a self-monitored security system like Canary or a centrally-monitored service like ADT.

Here to Help First Responders

In recognition of National Crime Prevention Month, State Farm and Canary are donating over 3,000 home security devices in 25 cities through the Protect the Protectors program. Select police, fire, and EMS departments in eight states will receive Canary devices for their homes. Since December 2015, nearly 15,000 home security devices have been donated to first responders across the country through the Protect the Protectors program. First responders such as police, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are the first people to be called into action when public safety is threatened. These brave men and women are proud of their occupations and their efforts to prevent crime and improve the quality of life in their communities. Safety is already a significant concern that contributes to stress for first responder families.