email from Lesley Sirimanne
Read
all the way to the end. You just might learn something that will save your home
from being burglarized.
The Burglar says-
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. Here's a 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 of town,
you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering
glow of a real television. (Find itathttp://www.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 page. It's
easier than you think to look up your address. Parents: caution your kids about
this. You see this every day.
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 http://www.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.
Protection for you and your home:
If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone's evil plans
for you.
WASP 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 to her 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...
Thought this was interesting and might be of use.
FROM ANOTHER SOURCE:
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.
CAR
KEYS:
Put
your car keys beside your bed at night.
Tell
your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr.'s office,
the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys
beside your bed at night.
If
you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just
press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn
will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.
This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home
for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a
security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no
installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house
and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with
the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or
garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your
house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds all
the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and
sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while
walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there.
This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could
save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
P.S.
I
am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. Would also
be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a
phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in
case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm
and then she'll know there's a problem.
