Locks, Plants, and Other Exposure Mechanisms

Okay, this is going to seem like a no-brainer, but I've had enough people screw this one up that it merits discussion right up front. I would say roughly three-quarters of the burglaries I've worked involve this particular failure, and I won't dress it up to give it any dignity.

Lock your freaking doors, people.

And not just when you are away. Lock them when you are home.

For some reason, people do not do this, and it baffles me to no end. Let me explain why it is important.

Once a criminal has determined his willingness to commit a particular crime (for this example, let's say home burglary), his next step is to select a target. Understand that humans (criminals included) are opportunists. They will not select a target unless they have a fairly firm belief that they will be successful in their endeavor. One of the biggest factors in which target a criminal selects is the level of exposure, because the more exposure he has, the less likely he is to succeed.

Let's face it. Most people are not criminals. In fact, it they see someone committing a crime, they are likely to call the police and report it. Criminals know this. Therefore, their choice of target will be one where there is the lowest likelihood of them being exposed to non-criminals and, consequently, caught when their activities are reported to the authorities.

A locked door represents a barrier. Certainly, it isn't an impenetrable one. But it will require the criminal to disable the lock, break in the door (one takes time, the other makes noise-- both increase exposure), or take another route like a window (which also increases exposure, because it takes more time and puts the criminal in a place that will be hard to innocently explain away if caught).

In the vast majority of cases, if a would-be burglar encounters a locked door, he will simply move on to another house where the door isn't locked. (This goes for car break-ins as well. I don't think I had more than ten car burglaries in my entire career where the criminal actually busted out a window to get something. Way too much exposure.)  Thus, by simply using a device that is already existing in your home, you have already drastically reduced your safety with virtually no work on your part.

Of course, locked doors are just the beginning.

When you are examining your home from a safety standpoint, think "maximum exposure."

If you are particularly concerned about window entry, I suggest those little planters you can put in your windows. Moving those things around quietly is a bitch, and most burglars know that. The presence of these little things increases exposure in terms of both the time of entry and the potential noise made by the entry. (I strongly advise against barring your windows, but that is another essay I'll have to do later.)

Motion-sensitive lights are great exposure-increasing devices. Sure, we all know that they are just automated little gizmos, but you really can't overstate the effect that a sudden flood of bright light has on the skulking ne'er-do-well. 500 LM is a ton of exposure in an otherwise darkened neighborhood. Besides, while a criminal might suspect that it is just an automated light, they never really know for sure, do they?

Speaking of lights, leaving one on when you aren't home is a great way to increase your safety. Remember what I said about criminals being opportunists? The vast majority of burglars are people that want your stuff. They don't want to have a confrontation with you. They will go out of their way to find homes that don't have people in them. That one light creates a similar problem to the motion sensitive light. Sure, it is probably just a security light... but is the criminal ever really sure? Most criminals will avoid the guess-work and just move on to the next house. It may seem almost idiotic to mention this, but make sure that there are curtains or blinds in your illuminated room-- your goal is to create the fear of exposure in the criminal. If he can see that no one is in the room, all you are doing is more clearly illuminating the shit he is about to steal.

Finally, one of the best exposure-increasing mechanisms is man's best friend. You can check the research on this one. The presence of a canine in your home exponentially reduces your odds of getting broken in to. This is because of the double-threat that dogs present. As it has for ages, the barking of dogs warns us humans with our fairly pathetic sensory organs. This is your exposure factor. There is also the physical threat factor that dogs represent. Getting attacked by any dog is a scary experience.

Ironically, a client once shared with me that he was more concerned with little dogs than big ones. "The little ones can't bite for shit," he said, "so they make up for barking their heads off at every fucking little thing." He believed that it was actually easier to negotiate a big dog during a home burglary. I think there is a lot of truth to this. Thus, even a teacup chihuahua will vastly improve your safety here.

Remember, the goal here isn't to terrify the criminal into giving up his life of crime; it is just to convince him that your house ain't the best target. A dog will go a long way to doing that.

Is this an exhaustive list of exposure increasing mechanisms in the home? Of course not. But even these very basic things can make all the difference in your safety. Invest a small amount of time in looking into them. If you want to get creative come up with a few of your own.

In fact, I'd take it as a kindness if you would share them with me. I never tire of learning new, useful stuff. Besides, it would be pretty awesome to learn a way to defend my home with the blender.