unexpected callers, people walking nature trails (or better say now becoming the burglars trails) in the area, backing your home. Many burglars observe houses from the the back gardens, not from the front.
Inform police straight away if an alarm goes off, even by mistake. Better mistaken than sorry.
Write to your councillors and ask for more action to reduce this problem. More CCTV cameras and more police in in our roads. Grouping houses in six to look after one another. More crime cascade on the forum, to report these crimes, so everybody is aware. We may crack the gang operating in the area, we may not, but at least we know.