13 Things A Burgular Won't Tell You

[sunnyday123]

Again, I just don't accept that. Crime rates are lower because the people are not as desperate in some places. Sure, crimes of passion can happen anywhere, but home break-ins don't just happen anywhere. And violent crime doesn't just happen anywhere. Those crimes happen more often in areas with more offenders - and less often where there are less offenders. A thief doesn't drive hours to break into a home in a neighborhood with which he is unfamiliar to score a big screen TV.

Yes they do. My home is in a very low crime rate area. In the past 6 months, there have been break-ins during the day and night. The police stated because it was a nicer area, the burglary suspects were driving here. Who wants to rob someone in a crummy neighborhood?

Crime happens everywhere.

 

[worm761]

We have the best security system out there: a one hundred pound beast. He is the biggest baby to people he knows, but let someone he doesn't know walk in the yard, like the meter reader for the electric, and he goes absolutely nuts. I have to walk out to the end of the drive to meet the UPS chic when we order anything. She is scared of him and all he has ever done is bark at her. He is huge though.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

I took a class on burglary prevention in buinesses and my teacher gave us a home check list. I was stuned at how unsafe my aparement was (and how many odd looks I got while screwing the plate off the door to make sure the screws were longer than 4 inches). I have since taken the best advice ever and moved to a second floor aparment in a security locked building.

 

[turkeymama]

LOL - there are some very nice places to live in NJ. There is a lot more to this state than Trenton and Newark...

I'm sorry, I had to jump in on this one.

I have a friend who grew up in Newark, NJ. Her family moved there when she was a child, for better living conditions. They were originally from Colombia, South America. I guess it's all relative. She always made jokes about how good Newark was compared to the streets of Colombia.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Again, I just don't accept that. Crime rates are lower because the people are not as desperate in some places. Sure, crimes of passion can happen anywhere, but home break-ins don't just happen anywhere. And violent crime doesn't just happen anywhere. Those crimes happen more often in areas with more offenders - and less often where there are less offenders. A thief doesn't drive hours to break into a home in a neighborhood with which he is unfamiliar to score a big screen TV.

********. I grew up in Jefferson City, MO. There is very little violent crime there. Years go by with no murders, or if there is something, it is domestic in nature. It's always been a safe place, the kind of place where kids still ride their bikes around and can go play with their friends with no supervision and then walk home.

Despite all that, we made headlines last year when a 15 year old girl murdered who best friend's sister just to see what it felt like. I remember seeing the headline on CNN and not even clicking on it because I assumed it was some big city crime. Nobody could believe that it would happen in Jeff- but it did.

Crime can happen anywhere. Just because an area has lower crime does not mean that it has no crime. It also doesn't mean that it can't happen to you, it's just less likely to.

 

[MouseketeerOvaHere]

Those are good points in that article. I have numerous measures set up to prevent a break in and with the economy as it has been, my usually low key, safe neighborhood has had an increase in break in's within the past year. Mostly teenagers but a few "real" professionals. I can replace the material things but it's my fur babies I worry about. There have been a few cases around town where the burglars shot the house pets or did other horrible things to them (fire), I would assume just out of spite. I have an alarm and a gun and I would not hesitate to use it.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Those are good points in that article. I have numerous measures set up to prevent a break in and with the economy as it has been, my usually low key, safe neighborhood has had an increase in break in's within the past year. Mostly teenagers but a few "real" professionals. I can replace the material things but it's my fur babies I worry about. There have been a few cases around town where the burglars shot the house pets or did other horrible things to them (fire), I would assume just out of spite. I have an alarm and a gun and I would not hesitate to use it.

One thing I have heard (I don't know how true it is) is that burglars will injure or kill dogs ahead of time so that they won't bark or defend the property.

 

[MouseketeerOvaHere]

One thing I have heard (I don't know how true it is) is that burglars will injure or kill dogs ahead of time so that they won't bark or defend the property.

Yeah, I've heard that too and in most cases that's probably what the case is. One lady said her dog was shot in the bathroom where he would sleep, which makes me think the burglar did it just because. He tried to take her flat screen but couldn't get it off the wall, so she thinks he shot her dog just because. Another story, the crooks put a lap dog in the stove for the owner to find. I'm sure most burglars wouldn't bother with such events but just knowing that there are people out there like this sickens me.

 

[Sparx]

I love the "it'll never happen to me" mentality.

Crime, and Violent Crime happens everywhere. There are simple things you can do to protect yourself and keep yourself from becoming a target, but crime happens everywhere.

 

[bananda]

i never thought there was much crime where i live. until i found out that there was a drug lab on my street. tha was interesting. the police were in my street all night.

can you imagione if burgulars used parkour? my friend thinks that will never happen because if they were serious about parkour, they wouldn't want to give it a bad name.

 

[Mysteria]

My advice - move someplace where this is so rare an occurance that no one knows anyone that has had their home robbed. Yeah, those places still exist in America.

Seriously?! Sure they exist but what jobs are available in that wonderland?

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I love the "it'll never happen to me" mentality.

Crime, and Violent Crime happens everywhere. There are simple things you can do to protect yourself and keep yourself from becoming a target, but crime happens everywhere.

I would rather be of this mentality than of the mentality that the world is to be feared and I have to live my life in fear...

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Seriously?! Sure they exist but what jobs are available in that wonderland?

Where I live, the household income is higher than the state average...
From the 2000 census:

About 3.0% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.

This is why crime is lower...

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Again, I just don't accept that. Crime rates are lower because the people are not as desperate in some places. Sure, crimes of passion can happen anywhere, but home break-ins don't just happen anywhere. And violent crime doesn't just happen anywhere. Those crimes happen more often in areas with more offenders - and less often where there are less offenders. A thief doesn't drive hours to break into a home in a neighborhood with which he is unfamiliar to score a big screen TV.

While this may be somewhat true, it is absolutely a false sense of security. I grew up in a tiny town in Western Massachusetts. My high school class was only 200 students and that was from 5 different towns. We had only one stop light and guess what? Our house was robbed! Yep, our TV, VCR and a lock box full of antique stop watches all stolen. My dresser drawers were torn apart as was most of the house. So yes, home break ins happen ANYWHERE!

Yep. All depends on where you live. We live on a farm in a rural area. It's beautiful ..... and safe.

Again, it doesn't matter where you live. Break ins can happen in every town in America.

 

[MouseketeerOvaHere]

Again, it doesn't matter where you live. Break ins can happen in every town in America.

So true. If a couple can sneak into the White House with all that security for a party, your house can be broken into as well.

 

[Topper]

"In Cold Blood"

 

[mhsjax]

Absolutely not true...it may be safer on par, but that sense of safety makes you less likely to take the same safety precautions as in other areas.

It isn't true for me, I live in a very safe place, but if I am home the doors are locked the windows are never open and if I am here by myself even during the day, the alarm is one. My friends in the neighborhood are the same as me.

If people can't figure out that they need to practice the same safety precautions, well then, I can't say what I want to,, against dis rules.

 

[SKWDW]

There was a TV show on one of the Science/History type channels and basically people would take part in an attempted burgarly on their home. An convict, turned security expert would then do exactly that, while being watched on camera. It really was a wake up call to many of the individuals taking part, just how easy it was to break into the home, steal things without anyone taking notice at all.

The security expert then would help them lock down their house better, keeping things safer, etc. It was an interesting show.

We really liked that show. It was "It Takes a Thief", with Matt Johnston and Jon Douglas Rainey.

They were both former thieves who now use their unique expertise to teach people in an unusual way to protect their properties.

We've incorporated many of their suggestions into our home, even though we live in a really low crime area.

 

[Carly_Roach]

The best deterrent to a burgler, aside from a barking dog or nosy neighbors, is a house that's a little run down but obviously occupied. If the owner doesn't have the money to fix those shutters or take care of that peeling paint, it's a good bet that the owner doesn't have expensive electronics like big screen TVs or jewelry inside. Of course that's not always the case, but burglers prefer easy targets. A well-kept home with expensive SUVs in the driveway or garage says that you have money and enjoy the finer things in life.

Wanna know why people who make $75,000 or more a year are more likely to be victims of identity theft? Because no one wants to steal the identity of someone who is living at or near the poverty line. The best defense against identity theft? Having less than sterling credit or even a bankruptcy on your record.

The article has some great tips and good common sense rules, but I think it goes a little too far in trying to make people afraid. I'm not going to spend every waking hour that I'm not working sealed up in my house, afraid to open the windows or keep them open at night.

 

[Just Jan]

My advice - move someplace where this is so rare an occurance that no one knows anyone that has had their home robbed. Yeah, those places still exist in America.

I beg to differ. I live in a very safe comunnity and yet my house was broken into while I was at WDW. My oldest daughter was at home and while she was away for 1 hr my house was broken into. Ya just never know...even in very safe communities.