Have you noticed a car sitting in your neighborhood periodically that has not been there before? Do not take for granted that one of your neighbors purchased a new car or is having a friend stay over. Does the car have licensed applied for tags on it? Does it sit in the same spot every time you come across it? Is someone sitting in it whenever you do observe the vehicle or is the same person you have observed in this vehicle been seen in other vehicles in the same area?
The above scenario would be a surveillance technique by a would be burglar. He will enter a neighborhood, one that he sees as being hardly patrolled by local law enforcement, neighbors seemingly keep to themselves, and there is little activity in the neighborhood. Should a thief be able to match these three scenarios, he is less likely to be noticed or detected while carrying out his surveillance. What is he looking, you may ask. He is looking for patterns, when people leave for work, when they return home, when they walk their dog, even when they take their garbage out, we will get to garbage later, so to speak. Now as busy as many of us are in today's world not many of us have patterns, however, some of us do develop mundane patterns of life and once a thief has found that pattern, that will be his target. He is looking for the mundane and predictable. Say for instance your life basically consists of leaving for work everyday at 8:00AM, you return home at 4:00PM every day, Monday through Friday. You take your garbage out at between 7:00PM and 8:00PM every Thursday evening. The dog is let out every day at 7:30AM and at 4:30PM and 8:00PM. You come from the same direction into the neighborhood when returning home from work. You shop for groceries every Saturday morning. These are the patterns the thief is documenting and looking for.
How do you combat all of this, seems overwhelming and even a lifestyle change must be needed to complete such a task. No, not really, its actually quiet easy. First and foremost if you notice any kind of suspicious vehicle in your neighborhood report it to your local law enforcement immediately. Even if it checks out to be nothing and there does happen to be a thief surveying the neighborhood, he will move on once he sees police patrolling. Talk to your neighbor where the vehicle usually sits, ask them if its their car, be proactive and its also a good way to meet your neighbors and let them know you are keeping an eye on the neighborhood. Write down the license plate number as you pass by the vehicle, try to make eye contact, slow down, these are all things a thief will want to avoid and if he is noticed he will move on.
Break up your pattern to an extent. Work hours cannot be adjusted to keep your home safe but the times you leave for work can. Be unpredictable, leave early one day and grab a cup of coffee, leave a bit later than usual another. Leave early, go around the block and come back as though you forgot something and re-enter your home. Come straight home when you have nothing to do after work, or stop and have and grab a newspaper and come home a bit later. Let your dog or pet out at varied times. Turn on your outside lights at different times. Just become unpredictable as a thief who cannot develop a reliable pattern from your behavior is going to move on, he wants an easy entry and does not want to take a chance on a confrontation. Let your neighbors know when you are going to be gone for extended periods of time and that no one should be around the home. Keep a light on inside the home when you are gone or even a television, this often produces the effect that quiet possibly someone is home as the TV is on, someone must be watching it.
Garbage, we all have garbage that must go out each week and what you throw out may not seem like anything special to you, but to a thief its like reading a newspaper article of what you might have in your home. You just bought that nice new 40" flat screen and put the empty box at the curb? Your kids now have a new home gaming system and the box is protruding from the garbage can? Are you starting to see the articles being written. A thief may pa rouse your garbage at night, looking for tell tale signs of recent purchases of items he may want. Be smart, if you make such a purchase, tear down the box and cut it up as much as you can, place smaller empty boxes or containers inside black garbage bags, place them on the bottom of your garbage can and put your nasty kitchen waste on top of it. Not many people will want to dig their way through old banana peels and rotten eggs to check for empty boxes. Practice this especially around Christmas time when we all seem to get those high end gadgets and jewelry we have wanted all year long.
Some easy precautions to take to deter thieves around your home. Leave outside lights on at night, especially by entry ways and garage doors. Install motion sensor lighting that will be turned on should someone set off the sensor, but be cautious not to set the range too high. If you are able, invest in a home burglar alarm either monitored or unmonitored. Companies such as radio shack make home burglar alarm systems that can be installed by you to protect entry ways that does not call out to an alarm service, thus saving the monthly fee. If activated the alarm has an outdoor siren that would be triggered, thus scaring off a would be thief. Remove all valuable items from your vehicle, even when it is parked in the garage, purses, CD's, DVD's, wallets, change, satellite radio's, GPS systems, should all be removed. Keep landscaping and brush trimmed away from doors and windows and areas at the front and rear of the home. Having heavy or thick brush provides prime hiding spots for burglars to duck out of cover or hide in wait.
Above all, report any suspicious activity or persons in your neighborhood. Police are patrolling to protect you and your neighbors and at the least if they happen to stop and check the person and it turns out to be nothing, you can feel relieved that they responded and looked into the matter, it will help your neighbors feel safe as well. Be vigilante and protect your property. Be proactive do not take for granted that one of your other neighbors will watch your block or report suspicious activity, and take steps to protect your home and property.
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