My Home Was Invaded by Criminals

L.K. Commented: I was the victim of a home invasion last year. Scared the bejeessus out of me. My German shepherd barking ferociously didn't even keep them out. I let her out of my room and then she ran them out. But the NERVE!
I grew up in this house and am 65 now. Up until about 20 years ago we never even locked our front door...
The police were here fast but nobody's kept in touch with me about my stolen belongings or whether or not they caught the guys. My concerns have grown greatly. I installed a locking gate on my driveway and another locking gate on the other side of the house. I’m afraid to hide a key somewhere so for the first time in my life I worry about getting accidently locked out of my own house.