Residential burglary
is a crime of opportunity, and all too often the resident
provides that opportunity. Burglaries are committed by
criminals who, for the most part, have little or no skill
and are seeking an easy target. If you delay a burglar’s
entry for five minutes, that person will probably leave
and victimize someone else.
What is a
burglary?
A burglary is defined as entering or remaining in a
dwelling or a structure with the intent to commit an
offense therein.
When do the
majority of burglaries occur?
Most residential burglaries occur during the day when the
victim is away from the residence. Remember, the
individuals committing this type of crime have little or
no skill, so they are seeking the chance to make a quick
score and leave without a confrontation.
How do they break
into a house?
Most of the time they get in through an unlocked door or
an open window. Or they use bodily force to gain entry.
What kind of
property do they like to steal?
Their favorite targets are money, firearms, jewelry, TV’s
and VCR’s.
What can I do to
make my home safer?
Use this list as a
starter:
1.
When you leave home,
make certain that all your doors and windows are closed
and secured. Do not hide a key on the outside of your
residence because it can be used by burglars.
2.
Trim the shrubbery
around your house so that your neighbors can see into your
yard.
3.
Use see-through type
fencing around your backyard to limit easy access to the
back of your house.
4.
Make your home look
occupied while you are away on vacation or out of town on
business. Ask a trusted neighbor to check on your house
while you’re gone and leave an emergency contact number
with someone. Stop your mail and newspaper.
5.
Check to make sure
that the locks on your windows and doors work properly.
If they do not, have them repaired or replaced.
6.
If a door or doorjamb
has been damaged during a previous burglary, that unit
should be replaced with a new unit. Do not repair it in
an attempt to save money. That unit has failed once, and
it will fail again. You are protecting you and your
family. It is worth the additional cost to ensure their
safety.
7.
If you are moving
into a new house or apartment, have the locks re-keyed so
the doors cannot be opened with the same key. Some
burglars use a master key or a key the obtained from the
previous owner.
8.
Garage doors should
be kept closed at all times. Garages equipped with
automatic openers should have the security code reset
after installation to prevent unauthorized entry by
someone using a remote control on the factory setting.
