Crimes of opportunity happen in a flash but, with a little planning, you can often foil the crooks and save your stuff.

What is a crime of opportunity? It's the type of crime that doesn't involve a lot of planning. It's the people who go driveway to driveway, testing car doors to see if they're unlocked. Or a bad guy seeing an unattended vehicle with the engine running. The people who fall victim to these sorts of crimes usually just overlooked some practice in their daily lives that left them vulnerable.

Over the years, I've chatted with many police officers about crimes of opportunity and they've given me some great advice about how to avoid falling victim. I hope these 15 tips will help you protect your valuables and stay safe.

15 Ways to Avoid Falling Victim to Crimes of Opportunity

Protecting your valuables is often a matter of being aware of potential risks. These tips could help save you from what police call crimes of opportunity.

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