THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU

[Lucinda F. Boyd]

 
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/)_
(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/_ (http://www.crimedoctor.com/)  and Richard  . Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St.  Louis, who nterviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.
 
 
Protection for you  and your home:
If you  don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone's evil plans  for you.
 
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 hey were  counting the collection. She asked the local polic e department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can  ofwasp spray instead.
 
The 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 culp rit 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.
 
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 n ight 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.
 
P.S.
 I am sending this  to everyone I know because I think it is f antastic. Would also be useful  for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone.  My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car
keys with him in case  he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm  and then she'll know there's a problem.
 
Please  pass this on even IF you've read it before. It's a reminder.
 
Please  share this with all the people in your  life.