THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU

A friend of mine sent this to me. Just had to share.

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. 

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. Parents: caution your kids about this.  You see this every day.

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 someones evil plans for  you.

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.