60 Small Steps

[patric]

Crime Analysis in 60 Small Steps, a new publication by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice, can be downloaded from their site at http://www.popcenter.org/Library/RecommendedReadings/60Steps.pdf

Below is a graph from the presentation that caught my eye, and might be worth passing around at your next neighborhood meeting.

[Wilbur]

An interesting report, but you must understand, it boils down to the type of burglar you are trying to prevent.

Most burglars go through the front door during daylight hours (when most people leave their houses empty and go to work).  So, dusk-to-dawn lighting having no preventable effect makes sense since most burglars are home in their jammies at that time too.

I have a feeling the dead-bolt issue is because most burglars can kick through poor deadbolts, thus, they don't see them as a deterrent.

Indoor lights on timers are directed towards a burglar who is casing your house, not the burglar walking down the street hitting random houses (which is the most common).

I do like the radio/tv left on option, but, the burglar has still kicked in your door.  He just leaves without taking anything once that door is open and he hears someone inside.

I've often thought of selling alarm company signs to people so they could put them in front of their house, even though they really have no alarm system.  There's $$ to be made there.

If you have a screen door, keep it locked.  It's hard to kick in the house door when the screen door is in the way.

Dogs work.  I've seen it work numerous times.  Big dogs, not little dogs.  And big dogs that bark, not big dogs who bring a toy to the burglar wanting to play.

When you go on vacation, the idea is to make your house look the same as when you aren't on vacation.  Plus, you want as few people to know you are gone a possible.  That means:

1.  Don't stop your mail - If you do, you've just notified the entire US Postal Service.  Have a neighbor pick up your mail EACH DAY.

2.  Don't stop your newspaper - If you do, you've just notified the entire newspaper group no one is at your house.  Have a neighbor pick up your newspaper EACH DAY.

3.  If you normally park your cars outside, have a neighbor move the cars around in the driveway once in a while.

[patric]

Good points all.  

quote:Originally posted by Wilbur

When you go on vacation, the idea is to make your house look the same as when you aren't on vacation.

I've seen a lot of people who advertise their absence by leaving on lights that are normally never left on (both inside and outside).
Going away and leaving floodlights glaring 24/7 just screams "Im an Opportunity!"

I also dont think it's a bad idea to have interior lights on timers, as long as it's the lights you normally use going on and off at the times they normally do, but people rarely do that and I believe that's why the report shows timer use as an ineffective deterrent.

(Seems a big mental barrier is to get homeowners to accept that there should be a time that their house is totally dark, at least in the early AM.  Failing to accept that seems to be a tipoff to the bad guys).