13
Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You:
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. 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,
you can
buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering
glow of a
real television. (Find it at <http://faketv.com/
>
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 or
MySpace 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
crimedoctor.com (http://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".
Here's
Another Tip
You're reluctant to answer your door anymore
due to home invasions. So now what?
If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone's
evil plans for you…just
use wasp & hornet spray.
Yes, wasp & hornet 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 that she get a can of wasp
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.
Here's More Proof:
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.
Please share this
with all the people in your life.
