13 Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You

My mom sent me this in an e-mail the other day and it really made me think! Please read this. It could save your life!

1.  Of course I look familiar. I was here just  last week cleaning your 
carpets, painting your  shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator. 

2. Hey, thanks for letting  me use the bathroom when I was working in your 
yard last week. While I was in there,  I unlatched the back window to make 
my return a little  easier. 

3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste ... and taste  means 
there are nice things inside. Those yard  toys your kids leave out always make 
me wonder what type of gaming system  they have. 

4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the  driveway. And I 
might leave a pizza flyer in your front  door to see how long it takes you to 
remove it. 

5. If  it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and 
foot tracks into the house. Virgin  drifts in the driveway are a dead 
giveaway. 

6. If decorative glass is  part of your front entrance, don't let your 
alarm company install the control pad where  I can see if it's set. That makes 
it too easy. 

7. A  good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the 
windows on the second floor, which often  access the master bedroom-and your 
jewelry. It's not a bad  idea to put motion detectors up there too. 

8. It's raining, you're  fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to 
lock your door-understandable. But  understand this: I don't take a day off 
because of bad weather. 

9. I  always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere 
or offer to clean your gutters.  (Don't take me up on it.)  

10. Do you really think I won't  look in your sock drawer? I always check 
dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the  medicine cabinet. 

11. Helpful hint: I almost never go into kids'  rooms. 

12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe  where 
you keep your valuables. But if it's not  bolted down, I'll take it with me. 

13. A loud TV or  radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on  while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device  that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find  it at faketv.com
(http://webmail.hamilton.net/Redirect/faketv.com/) 

          8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR  WON'T TELL YOU: 

1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard.  Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never,  ever look like a crook.  

2. The two things I  hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors. 

3. I'll break a window to get  in, even if it makes a little noise. If your 
neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll  stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he  doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human  nature. 

4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for  a fancy alarm system and leave your house without  setting it? 

5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that  you're home, 
and for flat screen TVs or gaming  systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night,  before you close the blinds, just to pick my  targets. 

6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's  easier than you think to look up your  address.  

7. To you, leaving that window open just a  crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air.  To me, it's an invitation. 

8. If you don't answer when I knock, I try  the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right  in.. 

Sources: Convicted burglars in North  Carolina, Oregon, California, and 
Kentucky; security consultant Chris McGoey,  who runs crimedoctor.com
(http://webmail.hamilton.net/Redirect/crimedoctor.com/) ; and Richard T. Wright, a criminology  professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who  
interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.   

          *Protection for you & your home:

If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone's evil plans for you. I  guess I can get rid of the baseball bat.  

Wasp  Spray  

A friend who is a  receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned  about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them  when they were counting the collection.  She asked the  local police department about using pepper spray and they  recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray  instead.
The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to  twenty feet away and is a 
lot more accurate, while with the  pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could  overpower you.  The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an  antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and  it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at  home for home protection... Thought this was interesting and  might be of use. 

Wasp And Hornet Spray 

On the heels of a  break in and beating that left an elderly woman in 
Toledo  dead, self defense experts have a tip that could  save your life.
Val Glinka teaches self-defense to  students at Sylvania Southview High 
School.  For  decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet  spray 
near your door or bed.
Glinka says, "This is  better than anything I can teach them."
Glinka  considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective  than 
mace or pepper spray..  The cans typically shoot 20  to 30 feet; so if someone 
tries to break into your home,  Glinka says, "spray the culprit in the eyes".  It's  a tip he's given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka  says look to the spray..."That's going to give you a  chance to call the police; maybe get out." Maybe  even save a life.