"I didn't think it would happen to me"

Written by Capt. Don Gross, Northeast District

 

“I didn’t think it would happen to me.”

That is a statement that we all too often hear from the victim of a home burglary. No matter where you live, a residential burglary can happen to you.  So, what can you do to lessen your chances of becoming a victim?  Let’s start with the basics:

  1. Make sure you have your residence locked when not at home.
  2. Install an alarm system or in-home monitoring video cameras.
  3. When out of town for any period of time, have a trusted person pick up mail/packages, or put your mail on hold at the post office.
  4. Do not post on social media when out of town, only after your return.
  5. Make connections with your neighbors, join or start a Neighborhood Watch in your neighborhood – the best people to know who doesn’t belong in your neighborhood are those who do belong there!
  6. Do not be afraid to call the police department about suspicious people or vehicles who are out of place in your neighborhood.  Take photos or video if possible, to help us identify those individuals who don’t belong, but never put yourself in harms way

Ways to deter and prevent home burglaries:

  1. Utilize a home alarm system with glass break sensors and turn it on when you leave.
  2. Utilize cameras in your home with motion detection that cover your backyard/sliding glass doors.
  3. Ensure that sliding doors/windows have locks on them to prevent opening should they be broken – simple thumb screw locks or a wooden dowel in the slider track can be a deterrent.
  4. Get to know your neighbors and their routines, watch out for one another,  Neighborhood Watch!

As technology advances, the cost of cameras and home alarm systems become more readily available and less costly.  Many systems today can be installed by the consumer, rather than a home security company.  Protecting your home is much like dressing for cold weather, layering is best!  Provide those “layers” of home protection by employing these layers in your home.

  • Secure the doors and windows
  • Have some form of active alarm/monitoring with glass break detection
  • Get to know your neighbors

The best protection is knowledge.  By being aware of the problem and employing layers of protection, you will hopefully never have to say, “It happened to me.”