“As a child my house was broken into while we were on vacation and jewelry was stolen because ‘friends’ knew our house would be empty,” says the Kettering woman.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, nearly 2.2 million burglaries take place annually in this country with more than 72.6 percent being residential break-ins. Because summer is a prime time for getaways, it’s also an ideal time to think about home safety.
Experts say you’d be surprised how often it’s the simplest and most preventable things that get us into trouble.
Some crimes occur because we’ve left a house key under the mat or a window unlocked. We leave valuable items on the back seat of an unlocked car in the driveway or let the grass get high while we’re away.
If John DiPietro had his way, we’d all find a trustworthy house sitter whenever we head out of town. The deputy chief of police for Miami Twp. has been involved with crime prevention for more than 25 years and believes the best way to deter potential criminals is to make sure someone is in your home.
“The fewer people who know you’re going to be away the better,” insists Di Pietro, regional director for the International Society of Crime Prevention Practitioners. He also works with the Ohio Crime Prevention Association and the Crime Prevention Coalition of America.
“It’s sad that you can’t trust people anymore, but it’s the world we live in,” DiPietro says.
“People talk, things are overheard and the more people that know you’re going to be gone, the more you increase your opportunity to become a victim of a crime. We’ve seen kids tell their friends they’re going away and those kids tell others. Or it could be your co-workers.”
It could also be a post or photo on Facebook, so it’s best not to use social media to share with the world how excited you are about your upcoming cruise.
If you can’t find someone to stay at your house, DiPietro recommends asking a reliable friend or relative to stop by on a daily basis to pick up mail and newspapers, rather than stop delivery. That person can water the flowers, put out the garbage can. The idea is to make things look as normal as possible.
Paula Bennett agrees that it’s best not to tell anyone that you’re going away.
After her family’s home was burglarized, her dad laid down the law: The children were to tell no one they were leaving town.
It’s a lesson she’s never forgotten: “I am adamant about reminding my own children of this every time we are preparing for a trip,” she says.
Crime-prevention experts like Michelle Boykins tout a series of principles known as CPTED: Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. The goal is to design your space to make it unattractive to a thief. Boykins is director of communications and marketing for the National Crime Prevention Council in Arlington, Va.
“Are your doors and windows locked with sturdy locks that are pick and drill resistant?” she asks. “If you have shrubbery next to your home, is it trimmed so that you’re not providing a place for concealment?”
Another key concept is called “natural surveillance” and involves increasing the visibility of your property.
“Lights make burglars nervous so light up the night,” advises Boykins. “When they’re sneaking around they want camouflage, so use outdoor motion and indoor light timers.”
A great way to figure out if a burglar can get into your home, she says, is to pretend you’ve locked yourself out and try to get in. If you can, so can a burglar. Spare keys should never be hidden on the property, but given to a trusted individual.
Officer Ron Strehle, a crime-prevention officer for the Dayton’s West Division, says it’s always a good idea to notify the law enforcement agency in your district when you’re planning to be away and provide an emergency contact number.
“If you get broken into in the middle of night and you’re in Acapulco, your house is wide open,” he explains. “We can secure the house as best we can, but we need to let you or a friend or neighbor know so they can come over to the house and notify repair people.”
Strehle is a believer in alarm systems, and says it’s important to put the company’s signs in visible places to show you’re protected. He says a neighborhood watch is an excellent idea; if there isn’t one in your area, consider starting one.
To avoid other disasters while you’re away, Kevin Kumanchik of Korrect Plumbing in Dayton advises customers to turn off their main water valve before they leave town, assuming it’s in good condition.
If a washer line breaks or there’s a leak in your water heater, you may lose some water, but it won’t flood your home. He also suggests turning your air conditioner down — but not off.
Bill Hafer, insurance agency manager for AAA Insurance, knows how important it is that you that you take videos or photos of your possessions before you leave town and report a loss or theft immediately.
“The idea is to prove to the insurance company that you owned those possessions,” he explains. “Some jewelry will be covered under your basic insurance but if you have a diamond ring or good artwork or a collection, that should be specifically covered by a rider, a separate policy.”
With gold prices soaring, you can bet your necklaces, rings and bracelets will be at the top of the thief’s wish list.
Joe Brandt, author of “Protecting the Family Jewels,” says if there’s a break-in it’s inevitably jewelry that’s stolen. He says that’s especially true these days with the gold market at $1,500 an ounce. He reinforces the importance of having someone check your front porch regularly.
“It’s an old trick for someone to stick a business card into the edge of your front door or your mailbox and then come back two days later to see if it’s still there,” he says.
Brandt says it’s imperative to hide your jewelry, but not in your bedroom. Most people, he says, leave treasures in a jewelry box sitting on their dresser or in their top dresser drawer.
“The usual break-in takes just five minutes,” Brandt explains. “In most break-ins, they don’t ransack everything and look in every nook and cranny, they don’t take up the floorboards. They are mostly young people or druggies looking for a quick hit, they make a beeline for your bedroom and target your jewelry.”
“Thieves will take a strongbox unless it’s a safe installed by a professional locksmith that’s been bolted to the floor or a wall,” he adds. “People always wonder why there’s a pillow case missing when they’ve been broken into, it’s because the burglars strip off a pillowcase and shove the jewelry into it.”
Avoid hot attics or cold freezers as hide-outs, they can damage your jewelry. Be sure and tell someone you trust where you’ve hidden it.
“Sometimes people stash their good jewelry and are so paranoid they don’t tell anyone where it is,” he explains.
“If something happens to them that jewelry can be history. No one knows where Grandma put it and the jewelry ends up at the Salvation Army or an auction house.”
Home burglaries, experts agree, are most often crimes of opportunity committed by a teenager who lives nearby. They are rarely committed by a professional thief.
“The more difficult you make it for them,” one concludes, “ the more likely they are to walk away or go on to another house.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2440 or mmoss@Dayton DailyNews.com.
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