If you're considering changing careers and becoming a criminal, don't get a gun and go stick up a convenience store. Chances are high you're going to be caught and sent away for a long time. A much better choice for a career criminal is home burglar. Less than 15% are *ever* arrested during their entire criminal careers. Six out of seven professional home burglars are still on the job year after year. That's amazing when you consider there are over eight thousand home burglaries in America every day... and bad news for us law-abiding homeowners. The next-worse thing than being the victim of a violent crime is having your home burglarized. Aside from the direct (and usually permanent) loss of belongings, victims are often haunted for years by the violation of their homes... and gripped by the fear that it could happen again.
Know your crooks.
There are three classes of burglars: the professional (think Alexander Mundy
from It Takes a Thief or Pierce Brosnan/Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown
Affair), the semi-pro, and the amateur-opportunist. Don't spend too much time
worrying about the professional. He's probably after bigger stuff than you've
got, and there isn't a lot you can do to stop him anyway. The real worry is the
semi-pros and amateurs because there are a lot of them around, and they often
blend into the scenery. A high percentage of easy home burglaries are committed
by male teenagers who live close by. The semi-pro may scout a neighborhood for
a week or more, while an amateur may spend only a few hours casing a residence.
Either way, once he's made the decision to rob a particular house, he'll be in
and out in just a few minutes.
How it's done. The
most common home burglary modus operandi in my area goes like this: once a
house has been targeted, the burglar will park his car around the block and
walk over. He'll go right up and ring the front doorbell. If someone comes to
the door, he'll pretend to be selling something door to door or have a story
that he's looking for a different house. If there's no answer, he'll typically
head around to the back of the house, seeking a way in without attracting too
much attention. He'll first try to force the back door. Most burglars don't
bother picking locks. They know they'll be able to quickly gain entry by cruder
methods. If he can't get in through the back door, he'll try a window or
possibly the garage door. While burglars would prefer to work in darkness, they
do not want to confront anyone, and generally choose to operate during the day
when the house is more likely to be unoccupied. They don't much care if your
alarm goes off. They know that most neighbors won't pay attention and the
police won't arrive for quite a while. The burglar is usually in and out within
eight minutes or less. He'll go straight for the master bedroom, looking for
jewelry, money, and drugs. If he finds a gun or laptop computer or something
else that's relatively small and of high value, he'll grab that. He may take a
quick sweep through other areas of the house, especially the living room,
dining room, and den. He will never go down in the basement, up in the attic,
or into any confined area for fear of being trapped there should the homeowner
or police arrive. That's why he also prefers single story homes (two story
homes often have the master bedroom on the second floor).
How you're targeted.
Real estate agents talk about curb appeal, how attractive and desirable a home
looks from the street. Well, so do burglars. They usually make the decision
about which house to rob by first cruising your neighborhood. Your challenge,
therefore, is to make your house appear hard to a burglar, yet inviting to
everyone else. There are some simple things you can do. For example, keeping
your lawn well manicured; it implies you pay close attention to your home. An
overgrown lawn suggests vacancy, and invites closer inspection of the home as a
possible target. Corner houses aren't targeted as frequently as homes in the
middle of the block; they're too visible. Houses located in cul-de-sacs are at
higher risk due to less frequent police patrols and proximity to woods (good
hiding places). Townhouses often have poorly secured sliding glass doors and
small enclosed back yards, attractive elements for the burglar.
How to Stop It from Happening
to You I'm sure you've seen the
burglar proofing tips published by your local police department or community
association. They provide good information, but always make a crucial mistake.
Here's why. I'm writing this article on an airplane waiting to take off, and
the flight attendants just started their safety spiel. They have some very
important information to relate... which could save your life in an emergency.
So, how do they start? By showing you how a seat belt works! Uh, hello, we know
that already. 90% of the plane's passengers tune out at this point and ignore
the important stuff that follows – like how and where to place the straps on
the life vest. Dumb. Unfortunately, burglar proofing instructions always start
off the same way: put timers on lights, keep shrubs trimmed back from windows,
install deadbolt locks, etc. Yeah, yeah, we know that already... But meanwhile
there are many little-known yet highly effective strategies you can employ to
reduce your chances of being the victim of a home burglary – and I'll start
with those right now:
Instant dog kit.
Burglars hate dogs (big or small, it doesn't matter). If you've already got a
dog, great. Now get one of those beware of dog signs. Get one even if you don't
have a dog. For added realism, put a dog bowl and chain out by the back door;
that really works well. (However, those motion-sensitive electronic dog barking
devices won't fool anyone.)
Get a real security camera.
Not those fake ones they sell in catalogs. Criminals aren't fooled by the fakes
(and real cameras don't have blinking red lights). If you don't want to spend
the money on a full video system, see if you can buy a burned-out security
camera or just mount a real one but don't hook it up (make sure the wiring
looks real though).
Don't advertise.
Burglars want different things these days than they used to. A few years ago,
the prime targets were your home entertainment electronics. Now, thieves are
mainly after cash, drugs (pharmaceutical and otherwise), laptop computers,
guns, and jewelry. They want stuff that's small, valuable, and easy to sell.
However, whenever you buy a big-ticket electronics item, you should take
measures to hide the evidence. Be discreet about carrying in the new flat
screen. Pull into your garage first, if possible. Likewise, don't leave the big
new box out by the curb; cut it up first. It's not so much that a burglar wants
your home theater equipment. Rather, he thinks that if you can afford to buy
one, you probably have lots of other nice things to steal.
Bad places to hide things:
- Dresser or lingerie drawers
- Night stands
- Under the mattress
- Medicine cabinets
- Anywhere in the master bedroom, living room, or dining room
Good places to hide things:
- Attic
- Basement
- Children's' bedrooms
- Broom closet
- Kitchen
You may want to get a decoy
spray can safe or a hollow book safe. Both types are highly effective, although
I have a slight preference for the book safe, feeling it's less likely to be
thrown away by mistake.
A Decoy box. A
typical burglar will be in your house for less than eight minutes. He's not
going to spend much time evaluating whether a piece of jewelry has a real
diamond or a cubic zirconia in it. If you put out some decoys, he may scoop
them up and leave without hunting for your real treasures. If you have a pretty
jewelry box on the dresser, keep all your inexpensive pieces in there and put
your valuable stuff in a plain box, or better, in a safe. Actually, you should have
two safes: a real one and a decoy. The decoy should be semi-visible and the
real one well hidden. A thief will assume the decoy is filled with goodies, but
won't usually try to open it on site; he'll take it with him. If you secure the
decoy safe to the floor, use some small screws. Resist the urge to place a Nah-nah,
fooled you! note inside the safe. Instead load it up with some costume jewelry
and maybe some worthless papers (you were wondering what to do with those Enron
and Global Crossing stock certificates anyway).
Mark your stuff. You
can buy an electric engraving pen for less than twenty dollars or borrow one
free of charge from your local police department. Some authorities recommend
engraving your Social Security Number on your possessions but I don't. The risk
of identity theft is high enough already. Your driver's license number or phone
number may be a better choice. Engraving your name or number on your valuables
helps deter robbery in two ways: First, you discourage the thief since marked
property is much more difficult to sell. Second, if a thief does steal your
property, it is much easier to catch and prosecute him when he is discovered
with goods is his possession that are easily identifiable as stolen. To protect
smaller valuable items such as jewelry, silverware, etc., it is wise to take a
photo of each item. It's also a smart idea to take your video camera and do a
complete walk-through of your house. Narrate the tape as you make it,
describing the objects you're filming. After you have marked, photographed, and
videoed all your valuables, make a detailed list of these items and keep it in
a safe place. Keep a copy in the office or some other offsite location. When
new items are acquired, add them to your list. As other valuables are sold or
discarded, cross them off the list.
Know who's looking around.
Anytime you allow someone new to enter your home, you increase your risk of
being robbed at a later date. Even a person who's been in only once or twice
has a good feel for the layout of your home, the value of your possessions, and
the type of security system you have. Be distrustful of repair people,
deliverymen, or salespeople in your home, even if they seem nice. They may not
be burglars themselves, but sources of information for other criminals. Do not
mention work schedules, vacation plans, etc. Be especially suspicious of
telemarketers or door-to-door salespeople. They may appear polite by asking, When
would be a more convenient time to speak with you? However, they're actually
more interested in determining when you not going to be home. Do I need to
remind you to never leave notes on your door saying when you'll be back? If
you've got teenagers, don't let them have open house parties. You don't know
who'll be casing your home.
Get a complete perimeter
alarm. Just don't have a false sense of security from it. An alarm
won't keep anyone out of your house, but it should alert you if there is a
break-in. Of course, it also serves as a deterrent, and will often (but not
always) scare off an amateur or smash ‘n grab opportunist. If you have a
burglar alarm system in your home, don't keep it a secret. Make sure you have a
metal sign on your lawn and alarm decals on your windows. Even if you don't
have an alarm system, you should make it look like you do. Get some of those
stick-on window break sensors, the lawn sign, and the window decals.
Don't be a chicken little.
Keep your alarm system well maintained to avoid false alarms. Likewise, make
sure everybody in your house is very familiar with the alarm's operation, to
minimize false alarms. If you have a lot of them and your siren goes off every
week, your neighbors won't even look out their windows (but they will curse
your name). What you really want are nosey neighbors. You want them to
immediately call 911 if they suspect criminal activity at your house. Police
detectives say an active tip about a crime in progress is one of the only ways
they ever catch a house burglar. That's why you may want to consider joining or
organizing a neighborhood watch program.
Upgrade your lighting.
It's true that most home burglaries are committed during the day when houses
are likely to be vacant. However, burglars are also constantly on the lookout
for homes that appear vacant at night. All things being equal, they'd much
rather operate under the cover of darkness. Outdoor security lighting that's on
a timer or light sensor will bathe your home in a constant protective blanket
of light. Most burglars won't spend any time investigating further.
Motion-sensor controlled lighting is less expensive to operate but only
effective once someone enters its zone. By that time though, the burglar may be
sufficiently interested in your home to press on regardless. He may try to
unscrew the bulb if the light is accessible. Disabling a motion light is less
obvious than unscrewing a usually-on light.
Close your garage door.
An open garage door is like a giant highway billboard that says, Rob Me. Also,
you should know that relying solely on the electric garage door opener for
security is risky. Consider having a locksmith install a deadbolt on your
garage door, or get a special padlock you can use when away for extended
periods. Garage doors should have solid wood or solid core construction. Your
garage door remote control should be of the rolling code variety. If your
control is more than about 15 years old, it's probably not. Code sniffers are
commonly available. With one, a thief can lie in wait, and then capture your
code when you press the remote. Later, he can use his own remote to open your
garage door, close it behind him, and go to work in complete privacy.
Secure your ladders and tools.
Chain and padlock your ladders so they can't be used for a second story job at
your house. Be sure to secure your tools, especially pry bars, big
screwdrivers, hammers, and the like. You don't want them turned into burglar
tools and used against you.
Maintain the lived-in look.
You know about putting some interior lights on timers when you're away. The best
timers have a random mode; it's much more realistic. A very effective strategy
is to put your TV on a timer, with the volume turned up high. Radios are good
too. Remember all the conventional wisdom about stopping the mail and
newspaper, mowing the lawn, clearing snow, etc.. However, you still need a
trusted person to come by your place frequently and look things over. Even if
you've stopped your mail and paper, you're still at risk of a door hanger or
advertising flyer being placed in your front door – advertising to one and all
you're not there to remove it.
Holidays are prime-time for
crooks. Be especially vigilant about home security during holidays.
Burglars know when religious services are commonly held and also when homes are
likely vacant for parties and dinners out.
Watch your garbage.
If you're away for more than a few days, ask a trusted neighbor to put some of
his garbage in your trash bins. While the majority of sanitation workers are
honest, some have been known to provide no trash for days tip-off's to
burglars. Even if you're not away on an extended trip, be vigilant about the
signal your garbage can sends to thieves. In some towns, garbage cans must be
brought out to the curb for morning pickup. Burglars cruising the neighborhood
at 3:00 PM can easily spot who's not home during the day to bring the cans back
up to the house.
Let the pros handle it.
If you suspect you've been burglarized, don't investigate the crime scene by
yourself. Let the police come over and check things out. That's what they're
paid to do. Women especially shouldn't wander about the house if they're least
bit suspicious. (You know in the movies, where the woman walks around nervously
asking, Is... is... there anybody here? A police detective told me, incredulously,
that frequently happens in real life.) If you see a door or window ajar, go to
a neighbor's house or call 911 from your cell phone. While most home burglars
are basically cowards and will take pains to avoid a confrontation, some are armed
and dangerous. In the event you encounter a crime in progress, attempt to flee.
If you are blocked in, stay still and allow the burglar to leave quietly, with
whatever's he's carrying. Do NOT attempt to detain him. That would be idiotic.
Your stuff can be replaced. You can't. Your family can live without grandma's
pearl necklace; they'd have a hard time getting along without you. Once the
burglar leaves, call the police immediately. While you're waiting for them to
arrive, don't touch anything or attempt to clean up the mess. You may destroy
important evidence. Make sure your house number is easily visible from the
street. It'll speed police response.
Lightning does strike twice.
If you're unlucky enough to have been robbed once, you are at even higher risk
in the future. Whatever attracted the thief the first time around: curb appeal,
inside info, isolation, etc., probably still exists after the crime. What's
worse, once the burglar has robbed you, he knows the layout of your home. It's
not uncommon for burglars to wait until you've replaced your things, and then
rob you again.
Your Doors and Windows Need
Special Attention
There are only two ways a burglar will enter your home: through your
doors or through your windows. They aren't going to do anything exotic like cut
through a wall or rappel down through a skylight. Burglars prefer to enter a
house the way you do: through a door. Pros may be able to pick a standard lock
quickly, but most thieves try to force their way in. That's why
properly-installed deadbolt locks are essential. You've seen that credit card
door-opening trick in the movies. If there's a bit of gap in the doorframe and
no deadbolt, it actually works. Consult with a quality locksmith and have
him/her install (or replace) a deadbolt with a 1-inch throw and a case-hardened
bolt. The locksmith may try to sell you on a high-security cylinder (Medeco,
Assa, and Mul-T-Lock are popular). Of course, these will be more expensive than
a standard cylinder. There are 3 main advantages: pick-resistance (the least
important), drill resistance (medium-important), and key control (very
important). Key control means that the special keys cannot be duplicated on a
common hardware-store key-making machine. Honest locksmiths will not duplicate
the keys unless shown proper identification or authorization. Some keys cannot
be duplicated at all and must be ordered specially from the factory. This is a
pain to be sure, but worth it if you must leave a key for a maid or service
worker from time to time.
It doesn't matter how much money you spend on the lock if it's
installed improperly. You *must* have a reinforced strike with four 3-inch
screws into the actual house framing (not just the door trim) at a minimum. If
you have decorative side glass on the door frame, consider having a 1/4 inch
thick flat steel bar imbedded in the door jamb, bolted to the top and bottom
structural framing. This will cost several hundred dollars but is the only way
to properly secure a door with a thin frame next to glass.
If you have decorative sidelight panels or a glass panel in the door
itself, consider replacing the glass with shatter-resistant safety glass or
Lexan. Any competent glazier can do this for you. Alternately, you can screw a
cut piece of Lexan on the inside of the door, backing up the original glass.
This may be the best choice if you can make it look aesthetic. If you have a
dog door, be aware it may be compromising your home's security. While a
full-grown burglar probably won't be able to fit through, a child can bribed to
crawl through and unlock the door. Be sure to lock the pet door when you're
away from your house.
I'm sure you know that sliding glass doors are burglar favorites. Many
people use the broomstick trick (a cut down broomstick fitted into the bottom
track). It's better than nothing but the coat hanger trick can lift it out.
Consider installing a Fortress Lock or Charley Bar instead. They provide
excellent security. After your doors, the next most vulnerable points are your
home's ground-floor windows. The windows on the rear side are most commonly
breached. Insect screens provide zero burglary protection; they are easily cut.
However, old fashioned storm windows provide significant protection because
they make a lot of noise when broken. When the locksmith is at your house
upgrading your door locks and hardware, have him install proper window locks
too. Many won't suggest them unless you ask.
The title of this article was a bit misleading. There's no way to
totally burglar-proof your home. If a pro burglar wants in, he's going to get
in. The best defensive strategy, therefore, combines techniques for making your
home less of a target, and actually hardening it to make break-ins a lot more
difficult for the amateurs and semi-pros. I realize some of this stuff is part
of the conventional wisdom. You may be familiar with the strategies – but a
little reminder never hurts – and taking action *now* could prevent a big
headache (or worse) later. -Birdy