LACP.org
.........
Securing Your Home
. . . it's easier than you think . . .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Securing Your Home

. . . it's easier than you think . . .

by Donnette Thayer

heavenly@pacbell.net


EDITOR'S NOTE: Donnette Thayer serves as the Vice-president of City of Angels Dog Rescue, helping others to adopt homeless animals. She's a resident of Montecito Heights in Northeast Los Angeles.


Dumas

Securing your home might be easier than you think. It might be as simple as adopting a dog, hanging up an old super 8 camera, and planting thorny plants around your fences and under your windows.

Burglars have chosen their career based on an overriding principle: They don’t want to put in a lot of work for their payday. Studies show that about a third of the burglars are stealing to buy illegal drugs, and are too sick or shaky to try to think up ways around your obstacles.

We can use this knowledge to protect ourselves from becoming their next target ... and all of us can learn something
from the "experts":

Click here to read:

Crime Prevention Tips from Criminals

by Donnette Thayer

According to one convicted burglar, security systems are not very effective protection for the homeowner, especially if the phone lines are easily accessible. All a burglar must is cut the phone line and the security system is disabled. Alarms and alarm signs probably deter non-professional burglars.

Another survey says that 9 out of 10 burglars will avoid a home equipped with a security system, choosing instead to move on to a home that will be less trouble.

So, what do burglars look for when selecting a home to rob?

1. 6 in 10 burglars cited back doors and windows above flat roofs as the easiest way to break into a home.
2. The appearance that no one is at home.
3. No obvious security measures, e.g. CCTV, alarm, secure locks, dogs.
4. Ladders or garden furniture left by a house to aid access into windows etc.
5. Windows left open and doors unlocked.
6. Empty driveway.
7. Lack of curtains/net curtains - can see in to check if there is anything worth stealing.
8.. Leaving empty packaging of expensive items outside the house for dustmen to take away.

Knowing this, what inexpensive measures can a homeowner take to discourage burglars?

1. Place thorny plants like bougainvilleas in areas where a burglar might enter a door or window by climbing to a flat roof. Make sure that no ladders are around to help the burglar get past the sticker bushes.
2. Turn on a radio or television set when you are gone, or use a timer to turn these appliances on and off for you.
3. Use clever security items like this motion activated device that starts up a recording of your voice saying something like, "Hi honey, I'll be right there," or something like that: http://www.1stlinesecurity.com/sounmotacmes.html - $50.
4. Set up a camera, no burglar wants to risk having his picture taken. The burglar doesn’t know whether the camera works or not, and doesn’t want to find out. You can also put up dummy alarm boxes, they seem to discourage non-professional burglars as much as real alarm systems do.
5. Lock up your ladder.
6. Lock your doors and windows when you go out, especially if you don’t have a dog, and especially if you are going to be gone during our prime burglary hours of 10 A.M. to 3 P.M.
7. Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway if you plan to be gone for a few days. Use your garage to park your car, if you have one. That way the burglar doesn’t have your car to tell him if you are home or not.
8. Draw the curtains if you are going out. Don’t tempt burglars by showing them what you have to offer.
9. Break up the boxes that your expensive items came in, and put them in the recycling bin.
10. Best protection of all? Get a dog.

A dog is an excellent anti-burglar investment -- a barking dog, whether large or small, will likely persuade a burglar to move on.

Here’s what one professional burglar has to say about them: "I may be very leery if there were some barking dogs," he said. "You can deal with an outside dog, all chained up. But a dog that's in the home, you don't know what you're dealing with."

H
ere’s another little figure for you. An estimated 40% of burglars are under the influence of drugs during the commission of the crime. Now, if I were high on drugs, the last thing I would want to deal with is an angry dog (or three).

I thought that some good neighbors might be interested in adopting a dog.

And hey, I can help you with the getting a dog part. Check out our available dogs at:

http://www.cityofangels.petfinder.org

We have a super good watch dog right now, sweet as pie and big, with an earth-rumbling bark. Take a look at Dumas:

http://www.petfinder.org/pet.cgi?action=2&pet=1646270

Dogs protect our homes and become our life-long friends in exchange for our table scraps. It’s the original bargain that we human beings struck with our canine friends. And it’s still one of the best deals we ever made. Adopt from a rescue or a shelter, and you’ll be saving a life.

A little good karma never hurts your home security either.