Keep Out – How to Avoid a Burglary

It seems like there has been a recent flurry of home break-ins throughout Scarsdale. Statistics from the Police Department show that the number of burglaries has risen from 16 in 2007 to 45 last year. And, there have already been six in 2011.

Whether up or down, burglaries are inevitably a problem in affluent communities.

Speaking with several members of the Scarsdale Police Department, I’ve put together the following suggestions to keep your home and property safe. Of course, a determined professional will be able to enter even a well secured home.

Some of these things may seem obvious but we all get complacent. According to the detectives, the basics are the most important. Keep your doors locked (all of them!) and put on exterior lighting. Motion activated lights are a good investment and they must be 13 feet above the ground to cover the desired area. Also put lights on timers but don’t have them all go on at once. Despite belief to the contrary, most burglaries take place during the day.

If you have an alarm system, use it. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone into burglarized homes and there was an alarm system that had not been activated,” Detective Rodriguez said. A system doesn’t make you burglar proof. There is actually about a 4-10 minute window between the time the alarm goes off and when the police arrive on the scene. The alarm company usually calls the home, gets no answer and then calls the police who are subsequently dispatched. “Actually that’s enough time for an experienced thief to do a complete sweep of the upstairs jewelry and other valuable items,” says Rodriguez.

So what’s a cautious homeowner to do? Don’t leave your jewelry and extra cash in your bedroom dresser drawer. A safe is great but so is a good hiding place out of the bedroom. If you have a safe, bolt it to the floor or walls. You need 4” thick bolts to make it really difficult to move. Robbers don’t generally want to deal with bulky electronics. Don’t forget about watches and other valuables.

The good news is burglars want in and out quickly. The police report that thieves are usually inside the house for not more than 3 to 4 minutes. A barking dog is a good deterrent and you can put a sign outside your home saying you a dog, even if you don’t. Also don’t forget to put out the sign about the alarm system. Fortunately, burglars don’t want anyone to be home and they often ring a doorbell to check. If someone answers, they would say they are looking for a different address. So be on the alert, call the police when you see anything suspicious and … good luck.

Anna Decker is a longtime community volunteer. She was President of the HS PTA, PT Council and has served on numerous school and community boards. In her former life she was in charge of Corporate Communications for the Institutional Bank at Citicorp and she continues to do a variety of freelance projects.