4 Ways to Protect Yourself During a Burglary

Imagine sitting in the comfort of your home, your castle, and suddenly finding yourself face-to-face with a burglar or two, breaking in while you are home alone. This was not just a scenario, but also a very real and scary reality for the mother of a colleague of mine.

The mother was home alone and heard the doorbell ring. She went to the door, peered through the peephole, and saw two girls outside. She didn't recognize them and assumed they were selling something. The homeowner did not want to be bothered with a sales pitch so she did not answer the door.

Perhaps a minute after the two girls walked away, the woman heard the doorbell again. She peered through the peephole once again and this time saw two men outside the door. Again, she ignored the doorbell, thinking that the two were more solicitors. However, this time the two did not just walk away. One of the men walked across the porch to a nearby window that opened into the front room. The window was open and he immediately began climbing through the screen into the home. The woman began screaming and ran to another part of the house. She turned and saw the male climbing back outside and she had the presence of mind to realize that the two burglars might try to enter through the back door, which was unlocked as well, or one of the other open windows. She ran to the back of the house and began locking up before calling police.

She was not hurt and nothing was taken. For many police officers and security professionals, this would seem like a relatively minor offense. After all, it is a property crime and no one was hurt. However, my friend's mother was extremely upset afterwards. She would not stay home alone and insisted that an alarm system be installed. The family even considered buying a firearm for protection. In short, she no longer felt safe in her home.

The good news is that the police caught the suspects a few days later. All four were working together, with the girls checking on which homes were empty for the two men who were following and would commit the burglary.

Burglary crime prevention tips usually focus on how to protect yourself when no one is home. This case though points out the risks when you are home during a burglary. Some crooks are so brazen that they will enter a home in the early evening during dinner and sneak to bedrooms or other areas, searching for valuables. These thieves have found that homes are often unlocked in the evening, but these thieves are a rare breed and target large, upper-scale homes.

Most burglars who encounter an occupant will be just as upset or even scared as the victim. And that could be dangerous too, if the burglar resorts to violence in a panic.

So, what should a homeowner do, if you happen to surprise a burglar in your home?

1.     Prevention. Keep doors locked even when at home. If you want open windows, an ideal solution would be to block or lock the window where it is only open enough for air flow, but not large enough for someone to come in.

2.    Plan. Think through your plan in advance. Ask a couple of simple what-if questions about how to respond if you encounter a burglar. It is no different from thinking about how you would escape during a fire.

3.    Create a “safe” room. Set up a location where you can escape to, if you cannot leave the home. A room with a sturdy lock and a phone is ideal so you can call for police. If you are comfortable with the idea, you may keep a gun here for protection as well. Most crooks, as in the case above, will leave once they realize they’ve been discovered. However, some may try to corner the homeowner and this becomes a very dangerous situation. In fact, it is no longer a burglary, but a robbery, and the victim could be in danger. If the crook knows you are barricaded in a room, the police are on the way and you are armed, then they may very likely leave in a hurry.

4.    Stay calm. It is easy to say, but harder in a real-life scary situation. Take deep breaths and stay focused on what you need to do. Having a plan will definitely help as you will be following steps you already thought about. Ultimately, your mind and ability to outthink the crook is your best weapon and best defense.

Realizing the potential risks and thinking through the steps you will follow helps you survive a chance encounter with a burglar.

For more tips, read about how to mentally prepare for danger and how to survive a home invasion.

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Eric is available for staff education and security awareness training as well as business coaching to help organizations provide safe workplaces. To learn more email Eric at businesskarate dot com.

 

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Avoid Becoming a Victim with 3 Simple Tests

What do crooks look for? Why do burglars pick one house over another? What does a terrorist look for in a target? What do ordinary criminals and terrorists have in common for that matter?

Crooks and terrorists may not be so different after all. No matter how evil their intent, he (or she) must still select a target in order to carry out their plan. Robbery suspects first look for the loot before planning their heists. Burglars look for evidence that no one is home and terrorists want a big bang (literally) for their buck – high publicity.

One well-known bank robber is credited with the statement that he robbed banks because “that is where the money is.” A robber wants to gain something – that is the whole point of the crime. They want to make sure that the quick win is on hand. Many are feeding drug habits, gambling addiction or alcohol. With these kinds of cravings or obsessions, there is no time to waste. They are looking for something of value that can be turned around quickly for cash or traded for drugs.

1.      Value – The goal is some kind of gain or value. For a terrorist, the value may be high publicity, such as a famous building or critical infrastructure or large number of potential victims. For crooks, it may just be something worth stealing.

Favorite targets of robbers are convenience stores and taxi drivers. It is not too hard to figure out why – both are easy to find and convenient to the crook. In fact, two recent suspects in Denver have called the taxis to their location in order to rob the driver. It doesn’t get much more convenient than that – the victim comes to the crook. These are examples of highly visible targets. Terrorists like visibility too, but in a slightly different way. They want a target that will generate a lot of publicity and garner their group the visibility and attention. Blowing up a bomb in the middle of the desert will not get that attention, as compared to blowing up a crowded nightclub or embassy.

2.     Visible – The target must be visible; crooks have to know it is there and an attack must generate the kind of visibility a terrorist wants. Schools, landmarks or crowded venues will offer that kind of media attention and visibility.

Of course, the crook must be able to achieve their nefarious goal or at least have a hope of it. The famous gold depository at Fort Knox would be an example of something that is highly visible, of high value, but with little chance of success. A terrorist might love to steal a missile from the military, but the chances of getting to it are nil. There is virtually no vulnerability.

3.     Vulnerable – The victim must be susceptible to attack to be a worthwhile target. That is why burglars look for homes with unlocked doors or muggers wait for victims in areas of poor lighting. There is easy access and the element of surprise to help the attacker. Terrorists also need targets that are open to attack. On 9-11, it was relatively easy for terrorists to hijack planes and fly them into the WTC. Today, many of the vulnerabilities that the terrorists exploited have been eliminated.

As an individual or responsible for protecting your business, keep the 3 V’s in mind – Value, Visible and Vulnerable. Evaluate the value that criminals may see in your business. Maintain low visibility when possible to minimize the chance of becoming a target. Last, use appropriate steps to reduce your risk or vulnerability to avoid being a victim.

Eric Smith, CPP is the leading authority on organizational self-defense.  He has extensive experience in law enforcement as well as security management.  Eric is available for staff education and security awareness training as well as business coaching to help organizations provide safe workplaces.  To learn more email eric@businesskarate.com.

 

 

If you would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at eric@businesskarate.com. 

The 12 Crimes of Christmas

While most of us are getting ready for Christmas, there are those lacking the holiday spirit. With the added stress of the holidays, the parties, and shopping online or in the mall, there is a lot more opportunity for crooks to ply their trade. During the season, there are several crimes in particular that everyone should be on the alert for and take some extra measures to protect against.

1.     Robbery

With all the activity, shopping malls and parking lots can become a feeding ground for someone looking to steal from others. Shoppers with their arms full of bags and packages can easily become a target for a robbery. Suspects can lurk about undetected in busy crowds or unseen by distracted passers-by. A quick grab of a victim's packages and a run to a waiting car is all that is needed for this kind of strong arm robbery. A suspect using a gun or other weapon makes it more dangerous.

               Tip - Avoid overloading yourself with packages and walking alone through parking lots. Be alert to anyone sitting in cars in the parking lot or loitering about watching shoppers. Don't try to fight an armed suspect for property - only if your life is in danger. Don't forget the risks at ATMs.

2.     Identity theft

Christmas season is a great opportunity for identity thieves. Hiding in the crowds, it becomes easier to get passwords as people shop online at Wi-Fi spots or even use a cellphone to take a photo of a credit card to use the number online.

               Tip - Be wary of people using cellphones around you in lines or at Wi-Fi locations. Instead of texting they could be videotaping your card number, account user name and passwords. Check your credit card accounts for accuracy and report any suspicious activity right away. Same with bank accounts. If suspicious activity is reported right away, your loss is limited, generally to $50. Stay away from debit cards as a suspect can drain your account before you find out and then you have to work with the bank to even get your money back so the potential loss is greater, at least at first.

               Beware – most identity thefts occur by people we know – roommates, friends and relatives. These are the people in our homes who have easy access to credit cards and other ID information.

3.     Theft

Just as with robberies, it is easy to get distracted and leave items unattended or at least not closely watched. Where force or threats are used in robberies, thefts involve stealing something without the confrontation. Leaving a purse or package in a shopping cart and walking a short distance away is another example.

               TIP - Do not leave items unattended - ever!

               Did you know? The most commonly stolen items anymore are smartphones and tablets, such as iPads and iPhones. Keep a close eye on those electronic items.

4.    Phishing

With all the shopping including online, it is easy for crooks to send out blanket emails to potential victims, pretending to come from well-known online stores. An unsuspecting victim could respond to a believable email and respond to a convincing request to confirm account details. In short order, the suspect has the victims account details and can quickly get online to do their own shopping - at your expense.

               Tip - Even if an email appears to come from an account or online merchant that you have used, be wary that the email actually comes from the store. Check the link included in the email by hovering the mouse over the link. If the links do not match or do not appear to be from the vendor, do not click on it. Better to search for a phone number and contact the vendor directly to check for any problems.

5.     Burglary

This time of year there are a lot of reasons to be away from home. Christmas parties, work parties, family gatherings and shopping, not to mention vacations, keep us away from home more often than normal. But Christmas gifts probably sit under the tree, right by a front window, as part of the decorations. Burglars know this and are looking for signs that no one is home to break in and help themselves to your valuables.

               Tip – When leaving, be sure to set timers to turn on lights and keep gifts and other potential items of interest out of the view from windows. If you have Christmas lights, make sure that they come on even when you are not at home to give the appearance that someone is there. Nothing is more inviting to a burglar than a dark house and decorations turned off. Don’t let mail or newspapers pile up if you are out of town and have a neighbor shovel snow and even park in your driveway to give the appearance someone is home.

               The # 1 way burglars break into a home is through unlocked doors and windows – lock up before leaving!

6.    Vehicle trespass (car break-ins)

When running errands or picking up gifts, it is easy to make multiple stops and leave gifts in the car while inside another store. Crooks love window shopping too and will definitely look for items to steal.

               Tip – Keep valuables out of sight and in the trunk of your car. Try to time your stops so that little will be left in the car at any one time.

7.     Car jacking

Instead of a sleigh full of goodies, some crooks will look for a car loaded down with gifts.

               Tip – Keep valuables out of sight, in the trunk of your car and keep your doors locked. Always watch for anyone lurking about as you walk to and from your car and pay attention to any cars following you – yes, it does happen so if in doubt drive a few extra blocks to be certain no one follows you.

8.    Credit card fraud

Crooks get credit card information in many different ways. Going through the trash is one very low tech way. Meth addicts have been known to use their extra hours awake to reassemble shredded documents for ID theft, including all the mail with the credit card offers. A high tech way to get credit card info is to use skimmers, small devices that record account information. Make sure that card readers at gas stations or other locations work normally and if there is a problem, look for any unusual devices on the reader itself. Crooks sometimes put their own skimmers on and can be very hard to detect.

               Tip – As with other forms of ID theft, keep a close eye on all accounts. Ideally, never let the card out of your site. Even wait staff at a restaurant could keep a skimmer in their pocket to record your credit information.

9.    Family violence

This time of year we think of spending it with our families. Sometimes, that includes the crazy uncle or eccentric aunt. It can also mean violence from others you are around. The added stress of the holidays can contribute, especially if someone has a history of violence.

               Tip – If you have any concerns about others at parties or other gatherings, let family members you trust know beforehand. Limit alcohol and if someone does become threatening or violent, ask them to leave or even call police if necessary.

10. DUI

Speaking of alcohol, there is certainly a bit more this time of year with eggnog and holiday drinks and holiday parties. 

               Tip – When driving, watch the cars around you and keep your distance from cars weaving or driving erratically. When starting from a red light, check to make sure no one is running the light in the cross traffic.

11.  Road rage

 The stress of the holiday can really show itself on the highways as people are rushing back and forth and that can lead to some anger management issues behind the wheel.

               Tip – Do not get into pointless arguments on the road. If someone is flipping you off, ignore it and keep driving. Let aggressive tailgaters pass and if you are being followed, head to a crowded, public location, such as a busy grocery store. Use your cellphone to call police and pay attention to where you are and what street you are on.

12.  Vehicle theft

Our cars are one of our biggest and most valuable assets and we take them everywhere. And they could be a crook’s getaway car or a way to get extra spending money at your expense.

               Tip – Never, ever leave a car running unattended or with your kids inside to run a quick errand or warm up the car. Don’t leave the keys in the car. Park in well-lit areas; avoid isolated parking.

Seasons Greetings

From Business Karate

Eric Smith, CPP is the leading authority on organizational self-defense.  He has extensive experience in law enforcement as well as security management.  Eric is available for staff education and security awareness training as well as business coaching to help organizations provide safe workplaces.  To learn more email eric@businesskarate.com.

 

 

If you would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at eric@businesskarate.com.