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Things a Burglar will not 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 faketv.com.) Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky; security consultant Chris
McGoey, who runs 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.
Reader's Digest Contributing Editor Janice Lieberman shared these and more tips on the Today Show and
in her blog. 8 More Things a Burglar Won't Tell You
Please realize that many 'common sense' precautions can be
taken to guard your property and not make it inviting to a burglar:
- leave lights on at night - inside & outside
- put timers on inside lights, set to function even when you are in the house
- turn at least one or more radios or
TVs on - LOUD - when you leave your home
- pick up any trash or newspapers delivered in front of your property or a neighbor's
home if they are out of town
- return trash cans to their normal storage positions as soon as possible
after they are emptied on pick up days
- if your home is empty every day, ask an at-home neighbor to replace your trash
cans or bins for you
- always pick up trash that accumulates in your shrubs or trees as soon as you see it
- remove
toys and play things from your front yard so they don't advertise who may be in the home and vulnerable
- if you think
a neighbor's front porch light is burned out, please tell them
- inform the PHE Block Captain when your are away from
your home
(an updated Block Captain list & contact info will be emailed separately)
It is
the time of year when homes are changing from fall to winters schedules and everyone is busy and distracted. It's also the
time of the year when burglars may be checking on the neighborhood to find targets.
HEADS
UP!
Please keep your eyes & ears open for anyone in the neighborhood that doesn't appear to belong here &
don't hesitate to call 911 if you witness something doesn't "seem or feel right"
Corporal
V. Tiong
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
102 Industrial Blvd., Suite 100
Kearneysville, WV 25430
E-mail:
Deputytiong@Gmail.com
O: (304) 728-3205
F: (304) 728-3299
We would
like to ask each of you, if you have any concerns or would like to have anything in particular addressed to email us NOW,
so we may forward a list given to OFFICER TIONG prior so he can prepare for anything specific or bring information that might
be needed to address your concerns.
Thank you very much, and we hope to see you at the next meeting.
Get involved! Block Captains needed.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email or call.
We look forward to your attendance and
meeting those of you we have not met!
Patrick
Henry Board
...a great place to live
Patrick
Henry Estates Inc.
703 Patrick Henry Way
Charles Town, WV 25414
http://www.patrickhenryestateshoa.org/
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