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13 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. 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.
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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 "http://crimedoctor.com/">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.
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updated
07/17/2010