Tips you can trust . . . from someone you can't
By Jason Cokes |
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For whatever reason, I happen to know a couple cats who work in re-sale . . . perhaps I would call them ingress/egress artists. Burglars. I caught up with one at a Waffle House and, after settling his tab, asked him to give (614) readers some tips that would help protect their houses against . . . well, him. He laughed, thought about it, and told me this:
1. Normally no one likes a loud mouth, or a person that brags about what they have - but burglars do.
You never know who is around you when you're talking about your Brand-New 60" Plasma, complete with surround sound. There is nothing wrong with enjoying your stuff - but if you want to keep it to yourself, KEEP IT TO YOURSELF.
2. Change your locks. Did you know that many robberies aren't forced entries, but rather, the intruder had the key? Once you're inside you can make the crime look however you wanted. Change your locks, stupid. Be careful with your keys; if you lose one, or leave one with a valet, or if a roommate or girlfriend moves out, play it safe and change the locks.
3. You're always on time. Most break-ins seem random, but they're not. You never know who is watching you, and if you made one of the mistakes listed above, you may be in real danger of being robbed. But you can make it more difficult simply by leaving later in the morning or coming home early. You can leave your car at home and get a ride. Every once in a while, be seen when you're supposed to still be at work.
4. Who doesn't like stickers? Burglars don't. Burglars are much less inclined to rob a house that has signs of a security system. Yeah, so you might not be able to afford an expensive alarm system, but if you can get you hands on the stickers from one, and possibly come upon a sign of, lets say Brinks, or ADT, your house is 75-percent less likely to be the victim of a random robbery. Stickers aren't just for kids anymore!
(Editor's Note: (614) does not condone stealing yard signs of any kind - but this burglar apparently does.)
5. Lock your doors . . . all of them. Check the back door. Most burglaries are crimes of opportunity; minimize their opportunity to enter your house easily.
Originally Published: March 1, 2010
