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. 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 it at 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.
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; 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.
Hat tip to Mr. T!
#1 makes me feel a little freaked out – thanks!
True (however, long) story to point out that sometimes, it’s just completely random….
July 2007. 8:30pm-ish. Sun is just going below the horizon.
I’m alone tonight, SO is down in San Diego doing some work for two days. I’m on the computer (as usual) in the front room, which is next to the front door. It’s a hot-as-hell July and my windows are all open, whole house fan running makes enough noise to feel like being near an airport.
My front porch light (on a motion sensor) flips on and one of my cats in the window crouches down in alert. I wait for the knock on the door, but it never comes. I look out the window and the front is empty. The cat is looking through the window around the side of the house. I decide it must have been a dog wandering that tripped the light and carry on with my web browsing.
About 10-15 minutes later, I hear a crash from the back bedroom. I assume a cat has knocked something over (a normal occurrence at my house) and I realize it’s time for them to have dinner anyway. I go out into the dining room and do a quick turn about the room to see what is now broken. As I spin, I see the flicker of movement at my bedroom door – so fast it might not have been there. Movement up high, not low where a cat might be. I decided that I’m imagining things.
Then, I notice the same cat from earlier in the window, slinking around the house all nervous. The way he does when there is a stranger around. This is enough to put me on high alert and I go into the kitchen and grab the biggest knife I’ve got.
I go through the house (doesn’t take long, I’ve only got 900 sq ft.) turning off the fan and turning on all the lights as I go. Finally, I look into the bedroom and find it empty. As I’m about to walk away and decide that I’m just crazy, I notice the other cat on the bed – all freaked out and on high alert. She starts to skittle off the bed to hide, looking over her shoulder into the closet, which I can’t see into from the bedroom doorway.
Right then, I knew. I step into the room, and there in my closet is a young man. When he realizes I’ve got a big knife and am (literally) dead serious about using it, he is clearly terrified. He crawls out of the closet and I herd him out the back door. I lock all the doors and call the cops.
After the cops arrive, they determine that the burglar had pulled off the spline that holds the screen into the frame, and then crawled in my bedroom window. His bike is still in my front yard, where he left it when he walked away very quickly. The neighbors had seen him skulking around the side of my house, looking in my windows to make sure I stayed in front room, and then crawl in the window. They called the cops, who were already on their way when I called.
Later, I find out that this guy has hit 6 other houses in the past few weeks. He is what they call a “cat burglar” – somebody who gets their kicks entering occupied buildings. This is a very dangerous occupation because of the possibility of conflict upon discovery. Someone surprised by an intruder in their own home is likely to not think before they protect themselves. This guy was lucky I was level headed and he didn’t make any wrong moves – I would have used that knife without thought if I believed I was in immediate danger.
Detectives later told me that the “master” bedroom is the first place a burglar goes, because that’s where the family valuables will be kept. Dressers, nightstands, top of the closet, under the mattress. Jewelry will be in the bedroom. Guns will be in the bedroom. Wallets will be in the bedroom.
I was randomly chosen by a guy on a bike, high on drugs. My lights were on, car in the driveway, TV on in the living room. The house next door, however, was empty and For Sale. That was his opening. If the house next door had been occupied, I’d have been less of a worthy target since the bedroom window is right across from their living room window. Not all burglars will “case” first, sometimes it’s just random.
It is very easy to think that it only happens to other people, right up until the day it happens to you. I thought my windows were up high enough that there was no way. Detectives told me that no window is safe, a determined criminal will always find a way.
In closing: neighborhood watch works. I’m the block captain of mine and my neighbors called the cops. Most police departments have a program where they will send someone out on request to help you identify your weak security points. My previous neighbors next door had dogs, small yappy ones that went off when anything within a 100 ft radius moved. When those neighbors left, I didn’t realize that one side of my house was now vulnerable, and sure enough, that was the side were entry was made from.
Sorry for the length. Given the post topic, it is always worth reminding people that you really aren’t ever safe, even when you think you are.
(My burglar was caught a few weeks later and got 19 years for his spree of 8 residential burglaries – 4 in which he was clearly seen by homeowners.)
Break into my house and get shot. That simple. I don’t have kids so I don’t have to worry about them sneaking in or out.
Art, thanks for that. Long, but definitely worth the read. (and well written!)
Dear Burglar,
Yeah, we’re out of town again. Feel free to take the 17 year old 21 inch Sony, my husband is dying for a flat screen even though we rarely watch television. Ditto the 28 year old stereo receiver, the left speaker channel blew out about a year ago. The laptop running the music from itunes is a bit newer, only 12 years old. You might note that it’s velcroed to some metal straps, that’s because the hinge is broken. You wouldn’t like our taste in music anyway. I’d be sorta upset if you took the homemade beaded necklaces my friend made me, but I again suspect your standards are higher than colored glass.
By the way, the cat with the skull and crossbones collar can get vicious, but if you feed her she’ll ignore you. I suppose you can help yourself out to the stash of canned goods. If you were dumb enough to break in, you are probably also hungry.
JtR, mahalo for your list from burglars themselves. I’m making some changes around my home after reading both lists. About a year ago, I talked to our local police department and they confirmed–since I live in a “commuter” town– #8 (on the expanded list) is a real concern.
My kids thinks it’s ridiculous that I lock the front door when I’m home, and yes, even during the day. The police have told me most burglars in my town just wait until 9 AM M-F, come off the freeway, and then case different areas. One week, there were three burglaries–all in one neighborhood. Two of the homes were unlocked. And yep, the teenagers–eventually caught–just walked in…
I always have my neighbors make tracks in the freshly fallen snow per #5 above.
I also shovel my entire neighborhood whenever it snows more than 1/2 inch.
And I’m a renter. A dirty, loathsome renter.
Chuck Ponzi
“Sorry for the length. Given the post topic, it is always worth reminding people that you really aren’t ever safe, even when you think you are.”
(Art Eclectic 8:03 AM)
No apologies needed! I’m famous for long posts here on bubbleinfo myself.
I found your story riveting. Mahalo nui loa for sharing. I was hooked from the first word, and happy at the conclusion that you were safe, and for once our justice system seemed to work. (Will the burglar get out of prison in three years for “good behavior” ?)
Having a kitty myself, I loved that your cats played an integral part in the whole story.
My worst nightmare? It’s not the “stuff” stolen for I have insurance and things can always be replaced. It’s the sentimental items–especially from my late husband and parents–that would break my heart in a million pieces if a burglar grabbed it…
Be well, Art Eclectic! I always enjoy your posts.
#1 is the reason my husband won’t let us hire a cleaning service. He thinks they’d be casing the joint. I think he just likes watching me scrub toilets. I will NOT be showing him this article because I hope to, someday, be allowed to hire a cleaning person.
Forwarded to my sister whose home just got burgled. They got a snowblower (nd other stuff). Thus, they had to have been watching the house.
Thanks!
I might buy that Fake TV gizmo. Sounds like a cheap way to give your house the “lived in” look when you are away.
I have one to add from personal experience:
If you have a back yard make sure it is fenced/gated/secure.
When I bought my place last year I had the gate to the back yard torn down to get termite clearance (it was attached to the house). I procrastinated on getting a new one built. Big mistake. A few weeks later someone (likely teenager) got in through an unsecure bedroom window during the day while I was at work. Made off with a brand new laptop, PS3 and a backpack.
I immediately had a new gate built, installed new window locks, and an ADT security system with motion detection for good measure. lesson learned.
on the brighter side I spoke with my neighbor, who has lived there 25 years since the tract was built, and he knew of very few incidents on my street.
Good post, thanks Jim! And thanks to the commenters as well (and as usual).
@Chuck,
We certainly appreciate all your shoveling in San Diego.
3 of my 4 old neighbors in Aviara were surprised when they got their wallets and other valuables stolen out of their cars that had the windows down, door unlocked in their garages with the garage doors open wide.
5. And I realize you might have a handgun waiting for me inside.
Burglars are looking for one thing: Empty houses. Nothing else matters to them if the house is occupied.
Two recent burglaries, one was with the house clearly empty (could see inside and nobody there) and the other one was the owner went upstairs and the burglar thought it was empty and dashed outside when he realized it wasn’t.
Of course that was one of the many reasons in our 60’s we moved to a 24 hour security high-rise downtown. . .only one solid door with a deadbolt lock unless they are going to climb 20 floors up!! Needless to say, there can be dishonest security people here also, but that is what a safe-deposit box at a bank is for. . .we seldom have more than $100 in cash around, and if they walk off with the new TV, we have insurance.
2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
I keep telling people that German Shepherds are the best home security system you can have.
A rottweiler works well too!
Fence in your whole yard including the front, so there is one big dog yard around the house.
Make sure the post man still has a place to put the mail!
Three medium sized barky ‘American Eskimo’ dogs do the trick. They even bark at the doves sometimes! Our house was broken in to when I was a young child, in the middle of the day while we were grocery shopping, and I’ve had dogs ever since.
Never another break in. Neighbors on both sides, yes, but not us.
I watch out for my neighbors because I am home during the day… I notice strange cars and make notes sometimes. I also come out of the house and watch if someone is walking around the street. But burglars are not easy to spot, they go in the back yards behind tall fences.
Thanks for the list, Jim!