To Stop A Thief!

I know what you’re thinking. Has our good old friend the “Blue Thumb Gardener” lost his mind? Why is there an illustration of a burglar on this page? I know you’ve all been patiently waiting to hear my words of wisdom about springtime gardening; however, I just couldn’t resist. Let me explain…

One evening, while pondering what to write about in our spring issue, I was flicking through the channels and came across a show called “It Takes a Thief” on the Discovery Channel. If you get the chance you should check out this show. It features former robbers who case a neighborhood, show you what they look for, and then show you how they enter a home and get away with over $60,000 in valuables in about ten minutes.

To my surprise, as I watched the show, two individuals grabbed a Rubber-Maid shed (exactly like mine), emptied it out in just seconds, and then used it to climb onto a roof to rob a family. Wow! This caught my interest for sure!

Since a shed was involved, I decided this would be a good topic for my next installment of “Blue Thumb.” After all, I did just about everything wrong that this poor family did when it comes to home security.

Where to start…
Of course, being your “Blue Thumb” expert, I must begin in the yard. I already told you how the former thieves used the shed to get on the roof. But they also used a ladder that was in the back yard to get right up to the second floor window in seconds. This show is intense. In fact, they show you everything from how they get into the house, to how they flip beds and ransack drawers to search for valuables. The catch is they offer the homeowners a complete security overhaul once they’ve completed the mock break-in.

After watching this particular episode, I decided to get proactive and make my house as secure as possible. I hope you’ll do the same. Below are some points to help you start securing your home both inside and out.

Before taking my advice on yard and garden care, I always suggest that you first do your homework and consult professionals in your area in order to make good decisions. The same is true with protecting your home. This article is not going to be a “how-to” guide. It is designed to shock you and get you to do the right thing by taking the necessary steps to protect your home, property and family.

First things first, start by locking your front door! Most burglars like to get into your house the same way you do—by walking through the front door. In fact, nearly 90 percent of all illegal entries are through a door. Most thieves, however, will not like the site of a solid door with high-quality locks. And be sure to ask your door installers to use the longest and strongest screws they can when securing doors on your home.

Every door and window in your home should be individually evaluated and assessed for possible breaches in security. Do not assume that simply because windows are on a second or third floor that they don’t require protection. One viewing of “It Takes a Thief” will show you how easy it is to gain access to them.

Most thieves will “case” your neighborhood and house before they attempt a break-in. When you are assessing your property, do what the professional thieves do and view your house from the street. Take an objective look at your property and your landscaping. Are there plenty of places to hide behind shrubbery or pine trees? Does your home have an obvious appearance of nobody being home? Is your home lit both inside and out? Do you have things in or around your yard that scream “Hey, I’ve got lots of nice things and plenty of disposable income—please come take it!”?

We all want our homes to offer a certain level of privacy. Just remember that privacy can come with a cost. If you’ve done a good job of making sure your neighbors can’t see your home, chances are they won’t see any would-be thieves either. The choice is yours.

Lighting…
The ultimate goal for securing your house (sad to say) is to make thieves choose someone else’s house. If they’ve chosen your neighborhood, they will choose the house that they feel is the easiest and the one that will produce the most profit. If you create a well-lit barrier around your house without any dark zones, chances are they will pick another target. Thieves hate light! Avoid lighting patterns, however, particularly if you have lights on timers for vacations. Timers are a good idea while on vacation and to fill gaps of time when no one is home.

Just be sure to set a series of timers in different rooms so that they turn off at different times. This will create the illusion that someone is in the house.

Garage…
The garage is often an easy target for thieves. Think about it. We usually park our most valuable vehicles in our garage (sometimes with the keys in them). Garages are also home to expensive toys, tools and other items that thieves can easily sell. Be sure to reprogram your garage door openers so they are not programmed with the factory codes, which can be easily accessed by professional thieves.

Alarm Systems…
As I’ve told you in the past, always consult the professionals and do your homework. Most security professionals offer a free home inspection and will give you advice on how to secure your home. Just remember that they are there to sell you something and to get you to take advantage of every product and program they have. Before you buy anything, do some research on the company. Talk to their customers and see if they are happy with the price, quality and service. There are many systems to choose from. Look on the Internet to learn about what a company has to offer. Find out what the companies offer before you have them give you an assessment and a quote.

Once you’ve secured your house, lit it sensibly, and installed sensors and an alarm system that fit your budget, make sure you use what you’ve invested in. Get into the habit of using your security tools to protect your assets. Teach your children of the importance of security.

Once you’ve secured your home from invaders, don’t stop there. Make sure you have adequate insurance coverage to protect your home and valuables from theft, loss and fire. Take a detailed inventory of everything in your home. Use a video camera and walk through every room in your house detailing what you’re filming, when purchased it, and the estimated value and age of the item. Make sure to secure that tape in a safe place such as a safe or safety deposit box at your bank.

Security is a lot like gardening—a little hard work will pay off in the end. Then, when a thief decides on your neighborhood, they will choose somebody else’s home to rob.

Have a great spring and good luck protecting your house!

NOTE: A nice reference book I found while doing research on this topic was Home Security: Your Guide to Protecting Your Family by James A. Hufnagel and Paula Marshall, Meredith Books (April 1999).