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Without question the health and safety of the people living under our roof is of tantamount importance!
These people can include a wife, husband, children, parents, other relatives or friends and yes, possibly a pet as well.
At the same time, even though the contents are merely things and typically replaceable, assuming that safety comes first trying to protect valuables likely will come in second.
With this in mind Hallmark Abstract Service was lucky to be able to enlist the services of a security expert to write down some of his thoughts to pass along on this critical subject of crime prevention!
Protecting Our Home, Marc Fraiman
Just like the MLB has spring training followed by the regular season, burglars start to come out when Spring has sprung and are well into their season by July. As the weather warms up families tend to leave windows open and be outside of the house on nice days. This presents the perfect opportunity for the criminal element to strike.
It typically takes only 60 seconds for someone to break into a house with 30% of break-ins committed with entry through an unlocked door or open window. If no one is home or sleeping, a burglar can be in and out of your home without you even knowing they were there.
The other 70% of the time forcible entry is used to gain access to your residence. The most common method is breaking a window and reaching in to unlock a door or a window.
Many convicted burglars have said they typically avoid homes with alarm systems. At the same time they would test an alarm system if they didn’t know the alarm company. Some of them have stated that if they did encounter an alarm while breaking in, they would immediately leave the home.
According to the National Burglar and Fire Association about 75% of incomplete intrusions can be credited to an audible alarm. When the audible alarm goes off, the burglar has a couple of choices.
They can obviously either continue and hope they can get in and out of the house before police are dispatched or turn around and run. While most of us don’t share the criminal mind the choice seems obvious. Flee and live to steal another day.
Studies also show that 11:55 in the morning on Fridays is a primetime to strike with adults at work and the kids at school. Yet another unfortunate reason for this timing is that Fridays are the kick-off to the weekend and, because many burglars are drug users, they are trying to steal in order to fund their drug binges.
Once in the home, the first thing a burglar often does is to go through the entire premises with three primary goals in mind:
Locating an easy exit
Confirming no one is home
Checking out where the valuables might be….the home office, master bedroom, family room
Usually there wouldn’t be valuables in the laundry room, kids’ bedrooms or bathrooms. However this doesn’t mean that the burglars aren’t going to look in those rooms but, non-conventional places to store these items need to be considered.
Of all the months July is number one for break-ins because more people are on vacation or outside for longer periods of time. In this new social media world a critical suggestion offered to the people I work with is not to announce on Facebook, Twiiter or anyplace else when you are going to be way from your house. Post all your pictures and updates after you return from your outing.
Finally, when traveling, always tell a trusted friend and neighbor that you are going out of town. Make sure you stop your mail and newspapers. Turn down the volume on your phone and answering machine. Have several lamps on timers. By doing all of this, you are giving anyone casing your residence the illusion that you are home.
And while none of these suggestions will have 100% success in stopping a motivated criminal, they are extremely important places to start!
Marc Fraiman grew up on Long Island, lived in Southern Florida for several years, and has been back on Long Island since 2000. For twenty five years he was a firefighter/EMT and an emergency communications dispatcher helping families in need or distress. Now, Marc helps families by providing safety tips and security needs analysis’s in conjunction with guiding a family towards creating their own home security system!
Marc Fraiman
ADT Security Executive
50 Republic Road
Melville, NY 11747
(631) 624-2607
mfraiman@adt.com
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