Burglars

“In the absence of justice, what is sovereignty but organized robbery?”- Saint Augustine

Reader’s Digest has been discovering the tricks that burglars use:

1. They frequently rob during the day while normally dressed as a census/survey taker, a lawn guy, etc. Or a crook may use a day job like an appliance deliveryman, carpet cleaner or painter to check out the houses they visit.
2. They may knock at the door, and if no one answers AND the door is unlocked, just let themselves in. Burglars may also check side doors and the garage door (when the garage connects to the house).
3. They also love open windows.
4. They are not afraid to break a window to get in. If your typical neighbor hears an odd sound, followed by just silence, he’ll go back to what he was doing. It’s human nature.
5. The antidote to #4 is loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
6. Alarm systems won’t deter if they are not turned on.
7. Windows with open blinds or curtains advertise what you have worth stealing.
8. There are many ways to let a burglar know you’re away from home
   -You post about your upcoming vacation on your blog or facebook
   -Your mailbox is full
   -Newspapers have not been picked up
   -There are no footprints in day-old snow, or your drive is not plowed.
   -The house is dark between sunset and bedtime.
   -A flyer left in your front door

Bottom Line

Professional burglars are savvy. They’ll look at your landscaping, your cars, views through the window, and so on to determine if you have quality goods worth stealing. They’ll carry out small safes and know all the traditional hiding places like sock drawers, dresser drawers, bedside tables, matresses, and the medicine cabinets.

A good deterrent is putting lights, a TV, or fake tv on a timer so the house does not look empty at night.

Hiding Places

"If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist it's another nonconformist who doesn't conform to the prevailing standard of nonconformity" - Bill Vaughan

If you are a conformist, you might be hiding your house key under a potted plant, under the doormat, or under a large stone by the door. These places are well known to criminals and not at all safe.

There is no reason to make access to your spare key convenient. A spare key should be something you use rarely (during lockout emergencies) - so you can afford to hide it far from your front door. Pick a stone far away or a place deep in the garage. Don't make it easy to find or reach.

Likewise if you're looking for some non-obvious hiding places inside your home I recommend the blog Hiding Stuff Around the House by Code Name Insight. He suggests 20 places for hiding keys, money or other small objects like:

• inside your desktop computer
• behind a wall switch
• under the attic insulation
• etc.

Bottom Line

House burglars are not stupid. They know the common hiding places and will rip apart your mattress, empty drawers, look behind paintings, and so on. To keep something hidden, try something radically different. Just don't forget where you hid it. :-)