US Crimes: Take Charge and Do Something

You Don’t Have to be a Statistic

by Cathleen LoGrasso

[of www.homesecurityandselfdefensestore.com ]

Do you leave your door open during the day? Do you open your windows in warm weather? Do you go out or come home alone without protection? Do you have any plan for securing your home against burglary and yourself against violent crimes?

• Install and use alarms on entrance areas: doors and windows.
• Secure all entrance areas: install deadbolts, use door and window jammers, improve the sturdiness of door and window construction if needed, lock doors, lock rear storm door, ensure adequate outdoor lighting, and generally do what it takes to make access to your home harder.
• Prevent false alarms by training everyone who uses your system properly
• Also use local number dial-up alarms that call you or neighbors can prevent false alarms
• Routinely inspect your security. Ask yourself how you would break in.
• Make it look like somebody’s home [signs of occupancy …lights on, noise inside from radio or TV, mailbox empty)
• Increase outdoor lighting
• Use surveillance equipment
• Use a personal alarm especially if you go out by yourself.

Here are some facts about crime you may not be aware of:  

• Most burglaries are residential
• Most residential burglaries occur during the day!
• Most studies indicate that robbers avoid homes with alarms and if they do still burglarize the home they will be hasty and stay a shorter time, thus take less
• Burglars more often use the front door, because its often left open.
• Most burglaries happen in the summer!
• 95% of alarms reported are false alarms.
• The US ranks #8 in the world for murders, #6 for assaults, and #9 for rapes.
• 85% of all burglaries occur in cities.

Good Videos to Watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kACgK5oO4Po   6 ½ min video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK7qaWjPIGE  29 sec. video  

Resources:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/21670/Crime-Statistics-Murders  

http://www.scribd.com/doc/21674/Crime-Statistics-Assaults     

http://www.scribd.com/doc/21672/Crime-Statistics-Rapes       

http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/ittakesathief/quizzes/burglary/burglary.html

Discovery Channel.

http://www.indygov.org/eGov/IMPD/Involved/Prevention/burglary.htm   

http://www.uschamber.com/sb/business/P04/P04_8225.asp    

http://phoenix.gov/POLICE/alarm1.html#whatare

http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=2037    

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2006/offenses/property_crime/burglary.html