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The
Enemies of Thieves
There
is no such thing as a perfect lock or security
system. Given enough time, work and the proper tools any system can be
bypassed. But we know that time and attention are the enemies
of thieves. Anything that slows them down is, in their minds,
"bad." If it attracts unwanted attention, it is even worse.
This
is where you can stack the deck in your favor. You
don't need an impenetrable system, all you need is something that
effectively counters the way criminals operate. Burglars rely on people
either not noticing them or thinking they are something else (like a
delivery men or someone just out walking).
Before leaving their homes,
they often equip themselves with concealed tools (or in the case of
some higher level burglars, a plain delivery van and dressed like blue
collar workers). It is under the cover of this anonymity that they will
position themselves to commit a crime. That is to say they come onto
your property and start looking for easy ways in.
Once
they are in the right place, they can gain entry in
a matter of seconds -- thereby falling off the radar. (Your neighbor
looks out sees a repairman outside your house and then, when he or she
looks again, doesn't see him anymore. Nothing odd about that). Once
inside the criminal will quickly commit the crime and then leave the
area. All in less time than a short delivery or pick up.
Burglars
tend to try to minimize attention-attracting
behaviors before breaking in. When they act, however, there is a period
of time that they are at risk of being noticed and their "cover blown"
(e.g., a "repairman" doesn't climb through a window). Make no mistake,
while setting it up, they are still engaging in the criminal process,
but -- unless you know the little signs and signals -- it often looks
innocent. When everything is set up, they drop the pretension and act.
Because their cover is blown, they must act quickly.
Gaining
entrance through an open window is fast and
quiet. Almost as fast is finding an unlocked one. Consequently, he will
often walk around the house and look for an open window, quickly
testing windows with a slight push. If your neighbor doesn't know what
testing windows looks like, even if he or she sees the criminal, this
behavior is less obvious than staying in one place and trying to jimmy
through a locked window, an obvious sign of breaking in.
The
next step might seem contrary to the idea of not
attracting attention, but it is consistent with both not attracting
attention and quick entry. If he can't find an open or unlocked window,
the fastest means to enter is to smash a window (or kick in a door).
One loud noise, reach in, undo the lock, slide open the window and he's
in. If, hearing a noise, a neighbor walks over and looks out her
window, she will not see him inside the building.
As
long as the burglar gets through the window, the most
to be seen is an open window. In under 10 seconds from making a loud
noise, he's out of sight from people who will call the police. This is
a successful break-in. This same idea also applies to kicking a back or
side door in or breaking out a window in a decorative door. After
breaking through a door, experienced criminals will close it behind
them.
A
window that has multiple locks that cannot be opened
all at once or has shatterproof glass is unexpected and unwanted
surprise and delay. A door that has hidden security measures and a
motion detection light above it will not be easily forced.
The
combination of unexpected resistance, increased noise, delay and lights
will greatly increase the risk of his being seen without his disguise
of innocence. And he knows it. Remember criminals function based on
calculated risks. Interjecting these unexpected problems often result
in his aborting the robbery.
Your
security systems must meet two basic criteria: delay and
alert.
By alert we don't just mean authorities, we also mean that it warns you
when you are home if someone is trying to break in. Remember, home
security is also for your protection, as well.
The
third enemy of
thieves is "no profit."Thieves will seldom face risk if they don't
think they will benefit. They don't break in just to do a recon --
except in the worst neighborhoods. They prefer to go in knowing there
are valuables there.
So
another layer of your defenses needs to be keeping
things out of view that might attract thieves. Thieves are like rats
and cockroaches. Vermin tend to go to places that are sloppy and where
there are things to eat. Keep your home clean, and you won't attract
these pests.
In the same vein, keep valuables out of sight from ground
floor windows (or at least close the drapes). You're less likely to
attract thieves, who, while testing the windows, will also be looking
in them.
Will I Ever Be A Victim Of Crime?
If you live a full
life, chances are you will be a victim of a crime. The Department Of
Justice reports that 5 of 6 people in America will be a victim of crime
during their lifetime. The question is what type of crime will you
experience? Crimes range from instrument forgery to murder. In fact
some people may experience many different types of crime. Some
things, increase your likelyhood of becoming
a victim.
Although in
different degrees, any type of criminal activity is damaging to the
victim. Home burglary, purse snatching, theft are all common crimes.
Even if you are some how lucky enough to have never experienced a crime
against yourself, you are certainly affected by crimes committed
against others. You experience increased distrust among other things.
You almost
certainly indirectly experience the cost of crime. The cost of criminal
activity is usually transferred to the consumer in the form of higher
prices. OK, we know that we will be a victim of crime. Tell us
something we do not know.
Crime can be
deterred. The key is not to be an easy victim. Think about it, if you
are a car thief you want to steal the car from the easiest target. Car
thieves want the car in place when it should be, otherwise; it is a
waste of their time. They do not want to try and steal the car of a guy
who takes a different route to work everyday.
This makes it
complicated. They also do not want the person who gets in the vehicle
and locks the doors within 5 seconds. Thieves want the guy who fiddles
with the cell phone while he hunts for his keys. In other words they do
not want to go in the garage when the same car is in a parking lot.
The same applies
to home burglary. No alarm, no dog, no lights, all equal a successful
burglary. A burglar wants to be invited. He does not want to work. You
invite them when you fail to take even the basic security measures. If
there are several people living in the house, then you share the risk
of what they accept. You may lock all the windows but someone else in
the same house may come behind you and open one and forget to lock it.
You may light the
house, but the frugal family member may not see the need to burn the
lights all night. You may be able to get into the house quickly, but
you may have elderly parents who may not be as fast. The idea here is
not to eliminate all the obstacles at once, but to know they exist.
Self defense is
another area where you become a victim when you miss the basics. The
basics are usually inexpensive. Becoming a victim of crime has long
lasting affects. Simply looking in all directions when you walk can
eliminate the element of surprise. If you are approached, being able to
out run the criminal can certainly move you away from the danger.
Criminals do not like attention.
Attention equals jail time. They probably will not chase a running
screaming person. If you draw any kind of attention to the crime it
will probably cease. The key point is that you can and probably will be
a victim of crime. With this mindset you have already accomplished the
most important part of your preparation.
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