TIPS FROM THE "KEEPING IT REAL" BURGLARY WORKSHOP

PRESENTED ON AUGUST 19, 2010

A panel comprised of six convicted burglars currently serving varying sentences, the highest being twenty-one years, candidly shared their backgrounds and expertise in the crime of burglary. Most were adult males in their forties who preferred to "work" alone. After some introductory questions, Officer Jointer opened the floor to an hour of individual questions from attendees.
Remember, burglars are opportunists, and there is not one single thing you can do to prevent this crime. However, you can protect your family's valuables by doing several key things. This is a general summary of what we learned:
WHAT THEY DO
Preferred Neighborhood:
- Upscale areas, preferably where properties have ample space between them
- Quiet, dimly lit
- Neighbors who don't engage with one another
- No activity (nobody looking out windows/sitting on porches)
Preferred Time of Day:
- Anytime you're not home, really.
- 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. (kids at school, parents at work, or the mom out shopping)
How They Get Information:
- You (if you talk to someone in the line at the store, other people are listening to your plans for your upcoming vacation or family reunion)
- Your spouse
- Your children (burglars might ask a child if they know who lives in a particular home, and whether or not anyone is home now)
- Your children's friends (a neighbor child who is picking up your mail while you're away might accidentally leak this information)
- Your neighbors
- Someone who has been in your house before (i.e. laborers)
How They Choose a Target:
- Open door or window
- Ring bell and nobody comes to the door or looks out the window
- Watched you leave
- Cat or dog sitting in the window (signal that homeowner may not be present)
- Lots of shrubbery to obstruct view
- Poorly lit property
- Helpful tools left unsafeguarded on property (ladders, tools left outside, etc.)
- Mailbox overflow
- Accumulation of newspapers or circulars on porch
What They Tend to Avoid:
- Homes displaying the presence of an alarm/surveillance system
- Homes with dogs in some cases, although some burglars don't mind dogs (see "what you can do" section)
- Privacy fences (if no one can see into your yard the burglar likes this)
- You, if they know you're home
Preferred Point of Entry:
- Front door
- Back door
- Windows (especially through a poorly-secured air-conditioning unit)
- Basement
- Attached garage
Time Spent in Your Home:
- Average time is three to five minutes (but will take their time if they think they can; ie: no alarm system)
Favorite Rooms:
- Master Bedroom (hits jewelry box, dresser drawers, mattress, anything that looks unusual [like a cookie tin on a shelf in the closet])
- Den/Office
- Child's Bedroom (looking for video games, iPod, phones, piggy banks)
- Kitchen utility drawer (looking for spare keys, extra checks, credit cards)
- Under your doormat (spare keys)
Your Car:
- Remote control (especially if you have an attached garage. They take the remote and come back another day and just click the button to gain entry)
- Proof of registration and insurance card for your home address (glove compartment or visor are obvious choices)
- Purse/wallet
A Few of Their Favorite Things:
- Money
- Jewelry
- Credit cards
- Checkbook or spare checks from the back of the pile so that you don't notice they are missing
- Weapons
- Small collectibles
- Small electronics
- Laptop computers
- Anything of value they can carry on their person
WHAT YOU CAN DO
You and Your Neighbors:
- Know your neighbors, especially those directly surrounding you
- Store your neighbors' phone numbers in your home/cell phone directory
- Coordinate a phone tree system to report suspicious activity to the police first, and then your neighbors second
- Communicate, openly socialize and watch out for one another
Install an Alarm:
- Activate your alarm each and every time you leave (Note: Most insurance companies offer a discount for an alarm system. However, did you know that you negate your policy if you don't use that alarm and become the victim of a theft? Insurance will not reimburse you for your loss.)
- Put your alarm on ‘Instant Mode' when you are at home, especially while asleep
- Install an extra motion sensor in your basement (most burglars will break a basement window to gain access; the door sensor will not detect the broken window)
- Make certain your alarm system has a backup mode in case the wires are cut
Your Home:
- Keep all unattended doors and windows locked
- Make sure your door/window frames are sturdy (Burglar's Note: Most doors/windows-even new ones-come with ¾" standard screws. These barely secure to the frame. Substitute with 2" screws to ensure security. The extra expense is worthwhile.)
- If you have window unit air conditioning, be sure to invest in a steel cage structure to encase the air conditioner. Thieves can easily access the window by pushing a poorly-secured air conditioner out of their way.)
- Install motion sensor lights or any surveillance equipment out of reach (second floor, if possible)
- Inspect your home after workmen have been there (Burglar's Note: Oftentimes a burglar is someone who has already visited your home. Make sure that laborers don't leave a ladder at the side of your home or a handy tool tucked in the bushes. Never give workers spare keys unless you are prepared to change the locks once the work is done as they will make copies.)
- Secure your central air unit by bolting it into the concrete
Privacy Fences (Burglar's Note: Privacy fences are not necessarily a deterrent. Some burglars perceive them as extra protection from being observed by neighbors.):
- Install privacy fence with deadbolt and key lock
- Keep the gates locked
- Do not leave anything in yard that can be used for an easy escape (ladders, buckets, garbage cans). This goes for directly outside the gate as well.
Your Personal Property:
- Secure all valuable personal items in a well-hidden safe that is bolted to the ground. They'll take the whole safe if it isn't bolted down well.
- Do not leave spare keys under doormats or in the garage; leave it with a trusted neighbor instead
- See http://www.burglaryprevention.org/News.aspx for detailed instruction on securing your items including engraving your lawn maintenance equipment (most police stations will lend you an engraving pen free of charge)
Dog Owners:
- Train your animal to guard your home. Most dogs are not trained to protect the home and can be won over by a burglar who is good to a dog. Some burglars bring dog treats like peanut butter to keep the dog occupied and quiet while they work.
- Do not ignore your barking or growling dog. Investigate any potential warning.
Vacations:
- Never talk about details of an upcoming vacation, out-of-town business meeting, or any extended time away from home in public (Burglar's Note: He heard of a lady talking about going out of town while in line at a local store and stealthily followed her home; he returned while she was away. In another case, a burglar overheard a man stating that he just won X amount of dollars in the instant lottery. He was followed home too.)
- Enlist the help of a trusted neighbor to watch your home, retrieve your mail, collect your newspapers/fliers, turn on a radio or television-even to put garbage in your garbage can
- Never leave with luggage in tow through the front of your house. Burglars sit and watch for opportunities like this.
- Install timers on your lights
Common Sense Behavior:
- Never let a stranger in your home (not even uniformed persons)
- Require identification from anyone wishing to gain access to your home, even if they have a uniform on. Make sure you have clearly seen the ID card before you permit entry. Call their company to verify employment and that they were sent on the call. Lock your door before excusing yourself to make the call.
- Do not leave doors/windows open while you are indisposed in another area (i.e. gardening in the backyard while the front door is wide open or unlocked; or while sleeping)
- Call 911 if you observe suspicious behavior. Trust your gut. (Officer Note: Ask the 911 operator for his/her name and take it down. You have just ensured their full attention and best possible assistance.) Better to err on the side of caution.
- Never talk about your good fortune in public (i.e. "Oh, I just won the lottery!" or "We're going on our cruise next week!")
- Do not ignore the doorbell. Just looking out the window can be enough of a deterrent for a would-be burglar. Let them know you see them. Do not answer the door for a stranger though.
We were relieved to learn that all of the panel members felt they had had their fill of criminal life. Most had lost spouses and other loved ones due to their behavior, not to mention about half of their own lives in incarceration.

Written by: Kathy Bedrio, Member of the Sauganash Park Community Board