We had two 'crime sprees' last year and our house was the only one not hit.
Good dog.
Posted on 01/12/2013 8:28:55 PM PST by Altariel
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it..
5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom - and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door - understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.
9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)
10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.
12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.
13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television.
14. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
15. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
16. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.
17. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
18. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.
19. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.
20. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.
21. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.
Here’s an idea…
Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It’s a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won’t stick around. After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won’t want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
Good idea. :)
Thanks very much for this posting.
We have security screen doors with double bolt locks that require a key, which we do NOT keep within hand’s reach by the door, but close enough in case of fire.
that article was extremely useful.
it shows that not everyone should own a gun. some people are not up to it.
of course others have expressed doubt if the article is genuine.
We had two 'crime sprees' last year and our house was the only one not hit.
Good dog.
We have obnoxiously loud dogs
We have nothing of value (because of the obnoxiously loud dogs)
We have beautiful flowers
and oh yeah.....guns. There's that.
Most locks can be picked in a matter of seconds.
love that pic, my dogs would fetch a beer for a burglar. I put gun/hunting stickers on my ol truck, anyone but duma$$ teenagers should get the message. Outside cameras help too
Here’s another hint - when you get your new flat-screen TV or computer, don’t just sit the box out with your trash. Break it down and throw it in the can where burglars can’t drive by and see it...or put it in front of your nasty neighbor’s house ;-)
You don’t know that for sure.
When the time comes, they may surprise you.
A few nights ago about 3 AM, the Portuguese Podengo Medio set up the alarm from the cabinet she stands sentinel on in my art studio at the picture window facing south and the Dobe leaped to the east window, barking, too.
I thought maybe the thieves had come back for more of the neighbor’s stuff and let him out the front door.
The thing about Dobes is that they raise hell over intruders when inside but run silent when out.
He made him himself low and ‘invisible’ in the darkness and ran the perimeter several times before reporting back.
He wasn’t agitated when he came back and I didn’t see anything moving so I have no idea what really was out there.
Hubby suggested a cat but although the Dobe will bark at the stray cats, the PPM never does.
As for your dogs, don’t underestimate them.
In 1993, my totally non-aggressive, sweet as honey Ibizan Hound growled and jumped onto the back of my ex who was trying to strangle me to death.
She’d never done such a thing before and never did again.
But when it *counted*, she was there for me.
Your dogs would probably do the same.
There’s a black guy who shows up on TV now and again that is an ex-con who now does educational seminars about home security.
His list is almost identical to this one but he also lists types of lighting to have and advises against having shrubbery near the windows or anywhere that can give cover to somebody breaking in.
His top two ‘burglars always avoid’ picks are security cameras and big dogs.
Apparently he’s right because both theft sprees covered a several mile area along RT40 and we’re the only house with both.
Right beneath my front security camera is a life size concrete Dobe statue that’s visible from a good 200 feet away.
Nobody can say they weren’t warned.
“20. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it’s an invitation.”
I leave mine open a crack...but there’s a stainless steel pin in the frame holding it from opening any further.
To the dog, it’s a nice gap to bite fingers off if they’re stuck in.
:)
Hubby mounted a light on my 9mm that will burn out your retinas.
It has a switch for that light to burn steady or strobe and also a red or green laser site option.
The strobe is especially miserable.
LOL
I love the way you think.
Several years ago a couple of flatlanders were running a scam here in the hills.
They’d go up to houses, knock and ask if somebody with a weird, totally non-hillbilly name was home.
Of course, if they were home, people said no but they’d rob the houses where nobody answered.
This went on for two days.
Unbeknownst to any of us, as if with one mind, we *all* stopped answering the door when strangers knocked and waited quietly inside with guns loaded, instead.
Sadly, the cops got them before any of us did.
22. Forget 1-21 and move to a community where there hasn’t been a break-in for fifty years (that’s what I did).
LOL! I looked at a flash light at the gunstore this week that could blind a person. I may go back and get it.
Out of my 4 dogs, the only one that I can count on to actually bite an intruder, weighs 15 pounds and is totally blind. But they will all bark like they are going to take you down.
Excellent Post - I’ll add my comments:
“1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.”
Quite true - just like in other businesses, crooks need ‘leads’. They don’t want to blindly enter a house - they want to know there is something for the taking, and they want to have some idea of the risk. Often they will get that info from anyone that enters your house with your permission. So, as I say, while the 50 year old plumber may be as honest as they come, how about is 23 year old helper that the county just provided to him? And what about the friends of the 23 year old. Bottom line, keep strangers out to the extent possible - and do your own plumbing, like some of us here.
“2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.”
Also good point, I hadn’t thought of that. It’s a good idea to sweep behind anyone that does come in.
“3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.”
Reminds me of my neighbors that put the boxes to their new computer system and plasma out in the front, in full view of everyone. Talk about stupid. In my case, I ALWAYS make those boxes invisible, by cutting them up, folding them and putting them in a bag, or something else.
“4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.”
Yep, like it or not, you have to have people sweep your house when you’re gone for more than a few days. If the guy is leaving flyers just for you, then he’s casing you, which means you screwed up somewhere else (like #1).
“5. If it snows while you’re out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.”
Probably so, but criminals tend to not like cold weather.
“6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don’t let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it’s set. That makes it too easy.”
Yea, that’s pretty bad. Also, one should NEVER have clear glass on any door without a means to cover it.
“7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom - and your jewelry. It’s not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.”
Depends on the house, but if you can access the roof from an upper window, then you sure as heck better wire it.
“8. It’s raining, you’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door - understandable. But understand this: I don’t take a day off because of bad weather.”
Actually, a lot of them do - I suspect, but I don’t have stats to back that up.
“9. I always knock first. If you answer, I’ll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don’t take me up on it.)”
This one for sure. It’s no-win. Once they knock you either have to let them know you’re there or, maybe, lead them to think that you’re not. In either case, it’s not good. We don’t answer, and I think that more and more people are getting that way, so the value of this approach is slowly diminishing.
“10. Do you really think I won’t look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.”
True, look around, there’s always good places to hide things (but I wont name them here).
“11. Here’s a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms.”
Didn’t know that one. Handy to keep in mind.
“12. You’re right: I won’t have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it’s not bolted down, I’ll take it with me.”
Definitely. And that applies to a 500 lb. gun safe too. They will get it, if they want. But, yes, you can bolt it down - but keep in mind they may try ripping it out with their car/truck, if they can strap to it. So placement is also very important.
“13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you’re out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television.”
The TV idea is good. The radio on a timer I always use. Make it loud enough. Obviously lamp timers too. In fact, one way to tell we’re gone is due to more windows being lit up when we’re home (LOL).
“14. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.”
Yea, dressing in flat black and carrying a tool bag might get one noticed in some neighborhoods. Also look for a truck, if has a uniform on. He shouldn’t be far from it.
“15. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.”
Dogs seem to be very good. Not sure how the crook can figure out if your neighbors are nosy unless he’s obviously casing the place.
“16. I’ll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he’ll stop what he’s doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn’t hear it again, he’ll just go back to what he was doing. It’s human nature.”
I tend to agree. One loud bang, it’s a backfire - several bangs, it’s gun shots. I also suspect that windows are the primary entry means for bad guys. But you can have fun with them if your door locks are double dead-bolt (like ours - also make sure that you need to have the key available to remove the lock from the inside - the cheaper locks let you simply unscrew the inside deadbolt, better than nothing, but only a bit). So even after getting in, they will have to exit through the window, which they won’t like doing.
“17. I’m not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?”
I can’t speak for that, we always set our alarm.
“18. I love looking in your windows. I’m looking for signs that you’re home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I’d like. I’ll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.”
This is probably the Number 2 means for a bad guy to get the hook he needs to hit a place. My idiot former neighbor seemed to want to show off his huge plasma to anyone walking by his house. I still have trouble with my wife on this one - she has trouble understanding that just because you cannot see outside (due to reflections), doesn’t mean that people outside cannot see you - in fact, they can see you lit up like you’re on display. Windows MUST be covered at night, that simple.
“19. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It’s easier than you think to look up your address.”
I agree, it’s very, very, easy to track people down. I’ve been able to track down 95% of the people that I went to high school and college with, even though that was decades ago, and I don’t even belong to Facebook. The less people you tell, the better. I also don’t tell the police or the postal service (we have a slot, so mail can pile up indoors for months without anyone ever seeing it from outside). The less that know, the better. It also buys you time. For a bad guy who is casing randomly, he won’t even pick up that you might be gone for several days (the first few days he’ll attribute it to bad timing on his part).
“20. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it’s an invitation.”
Agree. Maybe do it on the second floor, if at all. Also keep in mind that if the window is cracked open, not only is it easier to fully open, but it almost certainly, is not armed, relative to the alarm system. In other words, it’s a safe point-of-entry (POE, for those in the business).
“21. If you don’t answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.”
I agree that if they’re ready to hit your place, they will try the door after knocking. But often they simply want to see if someone answers - and then take it from there.
At this point, I’ll add one:
If you have extra vehicles, leave them outside when you’re gone (and obviously without anything to attract bad guys). Yes, there’s a slight risk they’ll get broken into, but the bad guy will tend to simply ignore your place and look for quieter stomping grounds. We actually left 3 vehicles outside for our last trip.
And one final one:
If you are gone more than 2 or 3 weeks, you’ll want to have someone live in the house, if at all possible. Just make sure they fully understand the security requirements when they go out.
And Another:
Even if you don’t have an alarm system, get a sign out front that says you do. For bad guys, there’s no way to be sure it’s a fake sign, as well-installed alarm systems are simply not visible from outside.
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