Thieves and burglars have been a major force in society throughout the ages, and in Roman times stealing was considered an extreme crime. The book Ancient Law, by Sir Henry James Sumner Maine, reveals that Roman laws condemned a slave thief to death, if he was caught in the home or with the stolen goods. If he was a freeman thief, he was sentenced to be the bondsman of the property owner.
So although robbery is an historical problem, the Washington, D.C., Police Executive Research Forum survey reports that home burglaries have multiplied as the recession, and loss of jobs and money, has caused people to become desperate. As news reports increase on the subject of robberies, be alert and be prepared to outwit those who may threaten the security of family and property.
Assess The Security of the Home
View the home and property from the same vantage point that a burglar would utilize, as he cases the location. Then ask the following questions:
- Where could someone hide? Behind an overgrown bush? On the dark side of a shed?
- Is there an object sitting in the yard that would facilitate a break-in? A hidden key? A ladder?
- Does the house look lived in or as if no one is home?
- What is the weakest link? A window that doesn't quite close? Is glass, that can be easily broken, near the front door?
Once the assessment is complete, fix the existing problems. Don't hide keys outside, they are too easily located. Lock up the ladder and other tools that may be laying around. Trim the bushes, and install motion-sensitive lights in dark areas of the property. Repair the broken window. Put a double-sided key lock on the door with nearby glass, or install security window film to make the glass harder to break. Keep your lawn cut and the snow shoveled, to make the home appear lived-in.
Tips to Burglar-Proof a Home
- Become friendly with your neighbors, and ask them to report any strange activities, or create a neighborhood block watch group.
- When parking the car outside the garage, remove the garage door opener and bring it inside.
- Keep doors locked with single cylinder one-inch deadbolt locks, and secure sliding glass doors with a pin, pole or slide-bolt lock. Install a peep-hole in doors.
- Close and lock windows at night or when away from home.
- Plant rose or other thorny bushes under windows.
- Keep shades lowered or curtains closed, when not at home, so home furnishings are out of the sight of prying eyes.
- Install a timer on indoor and outdoor lights.
- Have hard-to-break glass block or window stops installed on low and basement windows.
- Install 1¾ inch solid-core doors that are not easily kicked in, and a security screen door with a steel frame.
- Install a security system with glass break detectors.
- Keep interior and exterior garage doors closed and locked.
- Get a dog, or purchase a barking-dog alarm.
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