Protect Your Homes

[Chris Santee]

Thanks to Lana at Family Video for sending this to me.

THIRTEEN THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU :
 
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
 
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
 
3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
 4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it..
 
5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
 
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.
 
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom - and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
 
8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door - understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.
 
9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)
 
10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
 
11. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.
 
12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.
 
13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at http://www.faketv/ ...com/)
 
 
  8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU :
 
  1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
 
  2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
 
  3. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.
 
  4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
 
  5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.
 
  6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.
 
  7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.
 
  8. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.
 
  Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina , Oregon , California , and Kentucky ; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs http://www.crimedoctor.com/ and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis , who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.
 
  Protection for you and your home:
 
  If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone's evil plans for you.. (I guess I can get rid of the baseball bat.):
 
  WASP SPRAY
 
  A friend who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead.
 
  The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection. Thought this was interesting and might be of use.
 
  FROM ANOTHER SOURCE....
 
  On the heels of a break-in and beating that left an elderly woman in Toledo dead, self-defense experts have a tip that could save your life.
 
  Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania   Southview High School . For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed.
 
  Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them."
 
  Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says, "spray the culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray.
 
  "That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out."
 
  Maybe even save a life.
 
  Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
 
  Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr.'s office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
 
  If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
 
  P.S. I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.
 
 
  Please pass this on even IF you've read it before. It's a reminder.
 
  Please share this with all the people in your life.

[Chris Santee]

INCIDENT: Burglary to Residence

CASE #: 12A201379
TROOPER: Cota                 STATION: St. Albans                            CONTACT#: 802-524-5993

DATE/TIME: 04/05/12 at approximately 0900 hours
LOCATION (specific):  4 Arthur Drive, Highgate
VIOLATION: Burglary to a Residence
ACCUSED: Unknown                                      AGE:

SUMMARY OF INCIDENT:
On 04/05/12 at approximately 0900 hours, Vermont State Police responded to a call of a burglary at a residence at 4 Arthur Drive, in Highgate.  While responding, Troopers were informed that a neighbor had entered the residence after seeing an open door and heard someone leaving the residence through another door.  At this time there are no suspects in this case and it is asked that anyone with information contact Vermont State Police, St. Albans barracks.

[Scott]

[Cat]

Love it!

[kpplus2]

Guns are great, however unless your there to protect your property or yourself the firearm does nothing but make you feel safer. As an avid firearm advocate and carrier I can truly appreciate our right to carry and bare arms; However your best defense against the thug that wants your property while your at work trying to do the right thing is to do the following:
A: Lock your doors and windows with locks that work
B: Get an awesome Dog or two or three or four . . .  you get the point
C: Have security lights that work
D: Never have the attitude "it won't happen to me"
E: Get a security system that calls out to authorities, is really loud, and turn it on when you leave or sleep
F: Get a bigger dog that scares your other dogs and the thugs. even the biggest couch potatoes have mean barks
G: Educate your family not to open doors to people they don't know. You can hear through the door if someone wants to ask for "directions"
H: Leave a few indoor lights on when you are not home
I:  Don't tell people that don't have a need to know that your going on vacation AND DON'T PUT YOUR VACATION PLANS ON FACEBOOK!!
J: Feed your big dog so he or she doesn't bite you
K: Last but not least if you see something that doesn't seem right call the authorities

That's all I have
Enjoy your day

[slpott]

North Country Consulting is now offering residential and business security assesments and individual firearms training. If you are interested, please call 849-2570.

[monte198]

Guns sometimes are not always the answer.  You can be trained, but if you are not home they are not functional.  What about the one time the scared individuals (trained or untrained) hears a scratch at a window or a knock at the door.  Grabbing the gun and firing just isn't feasible.  An unexpected relative, a police officer or utility worker. It does happen.  I have been asked to identify myself several time when responding to calls, in full uniform and driving a police cruiser.

My answer:

Make your home more visable.  Your privacy hedge isn't just good for you its good for the burglars.
Alarms are good, but many agencies request they be registered for a fee for a response. 
Let your neighbors know when your out of town or local law enforcement as many agencies do residence checks
Get a big dog, a bigger dog.
Feed your dog, so he doesn't think you are food when you get home
Lock your doors, and windows.  The time of leaving your front door unlocked is gone
Exterior lighting, motion lights work for night
Driveway alarms for those that are home of newer security systems will alway a tripped driveway alarm send a photo directly to an ipad, smart phone
Security cameras or even a motion camera from Dicks Sporting Good works

Be aware of your surrounding, what doesn't look right, what should be there.  Get a plate a vehicle description, clothing description.  Don't hold the information all day if it is suspicious call it in.

[Thor]

Monte,

      I do not think anyone here is thinking that if they get or have a gun, they are going to be able to "protect" their property while away from it, whether at work, on vacation or otherwise. I think people are starting to want to have a gun around because they are seeing an increase in crime and to protect their property when they are at home (or traveling in their vehicle, or out in public). As we recently had happen here locally, a daytime " breakin", turned into a "home invasion", as there actually was someone home who just didn't answer the door when the "bad guys" knocked. Guns in the hands of trained individuals can be an asset as you well know. Guns in untrained hands, or homes where everyone isn't familiar with how potentially dangerous they can be is how tragic accidents occur. Additionally, I would say that guns in the hands of people who are "familiar" with weapons (I refer to them as the "yea, I got it" ones), can be a very dangerous thing as well, as the largest contributor to negligent discharges is complacency. There is no reason that an unexpected relative, a police officer or a utility worker should ever be shot accidentally. That would be tragic and a perfect example of "untrained". But people also are very limited in their definition of "trained". Do they know how to shoot in the dark? What will they do if they pull the trigger and the gun doesn't shoot? What if they shoot all the rounds and have to reload, can they do it in the dark without being able to see their weapon? Can they hold a flashlight and shoot? How is a real threat determined? Bad guy has a gun = threat, bad guy has a baseball bat = threat, bad guy is a foot taller and 100lbs heavier than the young lady at home alone = threat. What about multiple "bad guys" = threat. Do you ever shoot a target you have not positively identified as hostile / threatening = no, do you shoot through closed doors, walls or windows = no (unless there is already "incoming") Does your family have a plan in the event there is a home invasion? Where is the most defensible position? Alternate?

Anyway, the list could go on and on. But the answer lies in training and being prepared.

     Are there other ideas out there. Yes, you and a few others have listed many good ideas to mitigate the risks to properties. If someone breaks into my home and robs me blind while I am away, there is not much I can do about that, except call you guys and report it. But if someone tries it while I am home, the situation has now changed drastically. But in the end, you have to train to the worst case scenario. Train for the worst, hope for the best.

[Chris Santee]

INCIDENT: Burglaries - Seeking Information
CASE #: 12B300665 TROOPER: Dion
STATION: Bradford  CONTACT#: 802-222-4680

DATE/TIME: April 5, 2012 1700 Hours
LOCATION (specific): Newbury, Ryegate, Topsham
VIOLATION: Burglary

SUMMARY OF INCIDENT: State Police are looking for any information from the public regarding a recent burglary string in the towns of Newbury, Ryegate, and Topsham.  Several homes have been broken into during the daytime in the past two weeks.  Items ranging from laptop computers, jewelry, loose change, prescription medications, and guns have been stolen from the residences.  If the public has any information regarding the burglaries or any suspicious persons involved, please contact Trooper Dion at the Vermont State Police Barracks in Bradford.

[Scott]

...what Thor said.

[kpplus2]

I think we are all correct here. If your course of action is to use a firearm to protect yourself and your property training is the key when using any device that can cause harm I agree totally. I just think that should be the last course of action because lets be honest in Vermont you would be under investigation if you hurt the "bad guy" unreal but you know how it flows in this state. Let's face it there are knot heads out there that have nothing to lose, and should your paths cross in a dangerous way its sad but that person will have to be on the loosing end so we can protect the great things that we do have to lose.

Anyway bottom line people cannot live in fear and need to take a combination of all the things we've talked about to make it happen; should you find yourself in that situation. Good discussions I like it. Thanks

Maybe we should issue all Fairfax residence Tasers. Let that crook ride the lightening for a bit an see how productive he is. Ha!

Have a great Day   

[Thor]

No thanks on the taser. But you do have a legitimate point there with how the lefties view giving some dirt bag lead poisoning.

But, if it goes to guns, you cannot miss fast enough, so slow down, get good target ID, breath and squeeze.

And remember, anything worth shooting, is worth shooting twice.

[7F24]

If you are going to have guns in your home, you owe it to yourself and your family to make sure you are trained properly on how to use them safely.

[Scott]

John Jacob teaches the NRA Basic Pistol class once a month at The Sportsman's Club of Franklin County.
http://www.scoffc.com/calendar.php
Membership to the range is $50 a year. The range is only closed to the public on Wednesdays for Law Enforcement training.

[7F24]

I would recommend North Country Consulting.