Safety Concerns

Safety Concerns

1. Oakbridge residents are reminded to lock doors, particularly back doors.

2. If possible, you may want to keep a light on in your back yard. Try a dusk-to-dawn light, timer light or motion sensor light. Be sure to check with your neighbors to be sure your light is not a nuisance.

3. If you notice a neighbor’s garage door open into the evening, please stop by or give them a call. We all forget to close them once in a while.

Things a Burglar Won’t Tell You

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

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.

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.

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..

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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

Here’s a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms.

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.

A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent  than the  best alarm  system.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page or on Twitter. It’s easier than you think to look up your address.

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.

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