TIP OF THE MONTH!!! - ARE YOU "SAFE"?
Most people will tell you after a burglary that, "we didn't realize how much they took until months down the road." Most burglars don't spend much time in your house. It's planned, targeted or deduced beforehand. That's right, I said "deduced". Like a sign of intelligence could be used for the people that break into someone's home and take what isn't theirs for a profit. Well...That’s exactly what they do. Here are a few ways you can keep "safe".
I'm sure by now you've noticed that safe has been in quotes twice. There's good reason for this. It's because a "safe" is exactly what we are talking about. Either a safe in your home or a safety-deposit-box. One of the two should be used for certain things and at all times and FOR GOOD REASON. Like I said before...deduction is part of the tradecraft of a would be burglar to your home. While the word itself brings out images of Sherlock Holmes and Watson walking around with a magnifying glass looking for clues. It's really not that long of a walk to know certain things about ANY house one would break into. In the burglary world you have roughly 30 seconds or less before an alarm is triggered. Seems short, right? I want you to grab a stop-watch and time 30 seconds and see what you can get done. 30 seconds is a lifetime. In some cases...IT'S ALL YOU NEED! Especially if you know where you're going. THE MASTER BEDROOM!!!
The master bedroom is known as the "cash-cow" for a burglar. So many things are kept in the master bedroom that have a street value and some that only have value to YOU. Such things like;
- Watches
- Jewelry
- Spare Credit Cards
- Cash
- Spare Checkbooks / Voided Checks
- Laptops / Computers
- Firearms / Personal Protection Weapons
- Televisions
When all of this is in one room...it doesn't take long to clean you out. Also...Some of these things could/can be used to steal your identity or your banking information. In the case of the firearms, you may not even realize it's missing. BUT......if it's ever used in a crime, it's gonna come back to you and you may have some explaining to do. Most people don't report a burglary because they thought the loss was small or didn't realize what all was taken. Some people don't report a burglary because they are embarrassed. Almost all people, wouldn’t have to worry about ANY of this had they just kept those items in a safe or a safety-deposit-box.
Other things of significant value can be far worse than losing your favorite watch or having to change a few accounts around. A lot of people I’ve come across like to keep their family heirlooms, keepsakes and memories close to them. They want them in an area of control and safety. These items can be destroyed and tossed to the side by the burglar like they are trash but,…”one man’s trash…” Is there more in your room/home that, just, doesn’t need to be? Chances are (in over 99% of homes I’ve reviewed) the answer is yes. But…what about the baddest, deadliest and worst burglar of them all….FIRE? A burglar will pick and choose the valuables; leaving you with mostly everything….a fire will take EVERYTHING!!! How many of your family pictures are in your home? How many personal documents are in your home? How hard would they be to replace? I guarantee the answer on some of the items would be “impossible”!!!
There are very good safes that are fireproof, heavy and can bolt to your floor. Most would fit in your closet with ease. I’ve even seem some used as nightstands. How modern!! Safe-deposit-boxes are another great alternative and have become fairly inexpensive. Think of it this way…if you could have armed guards protecting your belongings when you need them…would you? If you could add an impossible barrier between a burglar and your personal information and prized possessions….would you? If you could make sure that a fire could not take away your personal memories…would you? I really really REALLY hope the answer is a resounding ‘YES!!!” Keep this O-O-O = “Originals and Onlys…OUT” Things that are not replaceable don’t have any business being in your home. Make copies and keep them on hand; even then, keep them in a safe in your home. Family pictures (new or old)…make prints, frame and hang the prints and keep the original protected.
Just take a few extra steps in your home to make yourself less of a target and/or victim and, down the road, you’ll be glad you did. Chances are, at some point in time YOU WILL BE the target of a burglary. What personal time, money and memories are you will to part with?
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Take care!!!
