Wednesday, February 17, 2010

13 Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You

"Stolen" (haha) from Harriet...information that's just too important to not pass along. Stay safe, everyone!

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. 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.

7. 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.)

8. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

9. Helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

10. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alar m 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 faketv.com.)

11. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

12. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.

13. 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; 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

3 comments:

Kate said...

Oh my goodness. This is a great post! I never thought of a lot of these things. I'm going to post this on my blog (giving you credit, of course!)

How are you doing, friend?

Amy L said...

Some good tips in the latter bullets here, but those first few had me flinching. Are we supposed to not hire carpet cleaners, buy new fridges, be kind to workers, or have nice flowers in our yard? You just can't protect against everything.

Cindy said...

Amy, really that one with the delivery men etc. was the only one that I was like...well, who are we supposed to hire? (But still, it is important to make sure your workers are insured/bonded, etc.) I think the other ones are totally plausible and reasonable!!!