The Most Surprising Crime Zone: Your Own Home

Legal expert Linda Fairstein’s guide to protecting your home—and yourself—from violent crime
Though we often consider them to be safe havens, at least a quarter of all violent crimes occur in our homes. Regardless of the neighborhood, an open window or unlocked door can be all the invitation someone needs to break in, leaving our homes more susceptible to invasion that we realize. In The Most Surprising Crime Zone, Linda Fairstein explains the nature of this danger, and what you can do to avoid it, driving her points home with examples of real-life home invasions.  Originally published in Cosmopolitan, this essay is now available in digital format for the first time and features a new introduction by the author.