I’m sure during you life time many of you have been a victim of some type of crime. Many losses in crimes, you would just go through your insurance and it wouldn’t effect or change your life. When it comes to being a victim of a home burglary things change. You feel invaded, you lose jewelry that has sentimental value, savings that is kept in your home, you have the hassle of filing a police report and waiting for the Evidence Collection team to search for fingerprints, etc.
When walking down a street It is not too difficult to figure out who is home and who is away or on vacation. Burglars know exactly what there looking for. The point of these Burglary Tips is to diffuse them by thinking you are home. Please follow these safety tips carefully and hopefully you won’t be the next victim.
If you are planning on being away:
*Stop the mail deliveries with your local Post Office. (Having an overstuffed mail box is a sign that you are not home)
*Have a neighbor collect any flyers, newspaper or magazines dropped off at your door.
*Ask a neighbor to utilize at least one of your garbage cans and to put it out a night before collection as if you would do if your were home. (please remember to ask them to pull back the empty can)
*If the weather is warm leave one air conditioner on fan. (Fan on will defray your electric cost) If you feel uncomfortable doing so with a window unit than you can leave a pail filled with water outside underneath your unit. (This may look like your unit may have just turned off)
*Leave a few radios on in the house. (Kitchen and master bedroom)
*Make sure your shabbos clocks are turning on and off your lights. (A house without any lights on in evening is a sign you may not be home)
*Keep window shades slightly open but not enough for someone to look in to see an unoccupied home.
*Make sure all windows and doors are locked and secure.
*If you have a driveway ask a neighbor to utilize it.
*If you have an alarm make sure to use it. (give a trusted neighbor a key to your house and alarm number in order to shut off if your alarm is faulty)
*Make sure any outside lights you may have are turned on.
*If you have a camera system please make sure it records.
*ABSOLUTELY DO NOT KEEP ANY VALUABLES (JEWLERY, CASH, ETC) IN YOUR MASTER BEDROOM OR HOME OFFICE. THE FIRST AND SOMETIMES ONLY PLACE BURGLARS RANSACK ARE THE TWO ABOVE.
*If you don’t have an alarm, outside lighting, window gates, etc. and would like to upgrade your security options you may call your local precinct Crime Prevention Officer to get a security survey (free of charge).
(Prepared for YWN by Flatbush Shomrim)
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2 Responses
Excellent tips! If I may add a few more… Being that there are so many more break-ins lately EVEN when people ARE home… 1) Even good quality locks on a door may be defeated by a strong crook with a crow bar just prying the door open. Get a 2×4 cut to the appropriate size to put between the inside of your door(s) and whatever is behind it/them, so the door can’t be pushed open from the outside (but you can remove it in a second if you have to get out in a hurry). 2) If you don’t have an alarm, place something that will make noise if knocked over, (like some folding chairs) in front of windows that might be jimmyed open (especially those toward the rear of the house.) 3) Even if you ARE home, light up the outside of your house, especially the back, and the sides toward the back of the house. 4) If possible (even if home) leave a light on in rooms facing the rear of the house, so a gonif making his rounds at 3 in the morning may think someone is still up.
We owe a great debt to the people who put their own safety on the line for ours. Thank you Chaim Deutsch for helping us help ourselves. This information is truly needed as a wake up call. As the economy gets worse we need to get smarter with safety. Great job Chaim!