THIRTEEN THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU
(NOTE:
Pay attention to the
WASP SPRAY section at the very
end)
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. (Find it
at http://www.faketv/.com/)
8 MORE THINGS A
BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:
1. 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.
2. The two things I
hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
3. 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.
4. I'm not
complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and
leave your house without setting it?
5. 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.
6. Avoid announcing
your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look
up your address.
7. 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.
8. If you don't
answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and
walk right in.
Sources: Convicted
burglars in North Carolina , Oregon , California , and Kentucky ; security
consultant Chris McGoey, who runs http://www.crimedoctor.com// and
Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St.
Louis , who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.
IMPORTANT TO READ THIS SECTION --
Protection for you and your
If you don't have a
gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone's evil plans for you. (I
guess I can get rid of the baseball bat.):
WASP SPRAY
A friend who is a
receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming
into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection.
She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they
recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead.
T he
wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more
accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and
could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they
get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office
and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would.
She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection. Thought this was
interesting and might be of use.
FROM ANOTHER SOURCE...
On the heels of a
break-in and beating that left an elderly woman in Toledo dead, self-defense
experts have a tip that could save your life.
Val Glinka teaches
self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School . For decades,
he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed.
Glinka says,
"This is better than anything I can teach them."
Glinka considers it
inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The
cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your
home, Glinka says, "spray the culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's
given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If
you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray.
"That's
going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out."
Maybe
even save a life.
Also
-- put your car keys beside your bed at night.
Tell
your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr.'s office,
the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. 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.