Crime Prevention - How to Secure Your Home during the Holiday

Unfortunately, at this time of the year, crime doesn’t take a holiday. During the next several weeks, many homes will be burglarized by unscrupulous thieves who think nothing of stealing plasma tv’s, laptop computers, MP-3’s, digital cameras, and even wrapped packages sitting under the Christmas tree. It’s hoped that the following advice will reduce your vulnerabilities to becoming crime victims and will make you look like Scrooge in the eyes of burglars everywhere.
Most homeowners have mistaken believes that nothing can be done to prevent burglaries. This might be true of a professional thieves, but few home burglaries are committed by professionals. It’s been my experience that many residential burglaries are committed by neighborhood teens and young adults who are familiar with your habits and routines. And, contrary to popular belief, most home burglaries are committed during daylight or early evening hours. 

When the residences are unoccupied! A large percentage of residential burglaries involve no breaking – thieves enter thru unlocked doors or windows. No matter what types locks are currently used to secure your home, please take the time to use them. Open garage doors are always invitation to burglary. Not only are you providing thieves with shopping lists of items that are free for the taking, you’re providing them with opportunities to enter your home undetected- once they close the garage doors . How many of you even take the time to lock the door between the house and garage? If you‘re going to be out-of-town during the holidays, disconnect power garage door openers. Give some thought to further securing overhead garage doors by snapping padlock thru the tracks, immediately behind one of the rollers. While on the topic of padlocks, be sure to use them to secure gates to your backyards. Block walled yards let burglars break into your home away from prying eyes of neighbors! There are other telltale signs that increase the likelihood your homes will be target by burglars. If you’re going to be gone during the day and expect packages to be delivered, make arrangements with neighbors to pick-up the packages. Don’t leave note on front doors advising FED-EX or UPS to make delivery later or next door! If you’re going to be taking vacations during the holidays make arrangements with neighbors to pick-up mail, handbills and newspapers. It’s also a good idea to have those neighbors put garbage cans in front your home on trash days. And, advise them to call the police immediately if they see any suspicious activity around your home. During those times when no one is home, leave a radio playing, Burglars will usually confirm their suspicions that homes are unoccupied by casually knocking on doors or ringing a doorbells. If someone should answer, they merely inquire about a non-existing person and then go on their way. But if they knock and hear music (or better yet- the sound of talk radio channel) there may be doubts as to whether or not anyone is inside. It’s also a good idea to turn down rings on telephones. Thieves with cell phones have been known to call their intended victims. While with their ears pressed against front doors, they’re listening for five or six rings without anyone answering their calls. For those of you with answering machines, DON’T leave a cutesy message stating “Sorry we missed your call, but we’re spending the holidays skiing in Vermont get back with us after the 1st of the year”. Interior and exterior lighting are also deterrents (or perhaps bonanzas) to burglars. Dark houses usually advertise unoccupied homes. It’s a good idea to have a lamp (or two) controlled by an automatic timer providing for several different on-off settings. A word of caution about automatic timers. If you spend most of your time in the family room, don’t put a timer on the lamp in the living room. Exterior lighting is only effective if used all of the time. If porch lights are only turned on when you’re away, you’ve advertised your absence! Exterior lighting, activated by motion detectors or photo-cells, provide goods security, are simple and inexpensive to operate. Remember if you call your local Police Department they will send upon request a Crime Prevention Specialist to your house and he /she will perform a security survey this service if free of charge. One last word of advice. If you should return home and it appears that your residence has been broken into DON’T ENTER! Call 9-1-1 if you’ve already entered the house and it becomes obvious that someone has been inside- DON’T GO ANY FURTHERED. Exit the house immediately via the same door you entered! Again call 9-1-1 and go or drive down the street and wait for the Police.
With all of your help, the upcoming holidays will indeed be joyous!

Respectfully
Frank Crescentini C.E.O
F.C.Investigations, California, State License PI 18368
f.c.investigations@usa.net