Some time ago I did some work with local law enforcement and was fortunate enough to talk to some “reformed” home burglars. Nearly all home burglaries are crimes of convenience and opportunity.
Professionals pretty much only steal what they came to steal. There may be other items of convenience, but usually they are skipped because such things can be distracting or weigh down the job. They’re also surprisingly neat. They do everything they can to not even leave a trace they were there. The hope here is that you won’t notice what’s been taken as missing for a few days- and they’re long gone and much harder to catch. ALL of the professionals I interviewed were never actually CAUGHT. They came forward, because there was more safe money in consulting than there was in risky burglaring. Many said they didn’t do it for the money- they did it for the thrill. ALL of them said they’ve never shot someone, been shot at, or carried a gun. ALL of them said they’d rather run than fight, and some of them retorted they’d have no problem killing someone and stealing the home video system.
Amateur, novice and inexperienced burglars are just plain bad, and make up the bulk of burglars. They are the ones that smash windows, break down doors, crawl in through attic vents. They don’t know what they’re stealing so they grab whatever looks valuable and tie your up. Some of these invasions result in rape and other violence. They don’t care if they make a mess. They’re figuring that they just need to be “fast enough” – like a timed shopping spree. Grab as much as you can as quickly as you can and get out.
They’re sloppy, frantic and make lots of mistakes that eventually lead to their arrest. And even still, nearly 95% of these types of burglaries aren’t done because the guy wants to become a professional burglar- they’re done out of desperation mostly for quick money for a bad drug habit. Most of the novice burglars I spoke with were first offenders. Most of them had some sort of financial trouble. Many of them did it to square a shady debt or to hawk or trade for drugs.
So because a pro already knows everything about you and you’re pretty much screwed unless you’re lucky, here’s the biggest deterrents my novice burglars say made them move on to the next house and skipping yours:
- Dual-paned (or double glazed) windows in PVC (vinyl) frames. Apparently the double panes makes a big mess you can cut yourself on, which makes you less efficient and slows you down. The PVC frames don’t snap or break like aluminum or wood frames- they just sort of warp and bend and can foul the window so it won’t open without a lot of effort, extra time and a lot of noise. These by survey were the single most effective deterrent.
- More than one dog. Surprisingly a single dog wasn’t much of a deterrent. Two dogs are a pain in the ass, and interestingly enough, if one of those dogs is big and the other is small (Like say a boxer and a yorkshire terrier) that’s more than enough for the burglar to pass you by.
- Mature landscaping. Easy to hide in, or ditch tools that you probably stole to do the job in the first place. Sparse or new landscaping is “high visibility” and even the most desperate don’t want to be seen if they can avoid it. Fun facts: Don’t plant dense bushes close to the house- plant them ten feet away. If you have trees close to your house than can support 150 lbs, trim lower branches to twelve feet above the ground. Or cut them down. Trimming them just makes it less convenient to get to the second floor windows (Which are often less secure than the first floor windows) or your roof.
- Thick foliage around your fence-line, but not around the house. It makes entry from the back problematic, and exit a pain. It’s less convenient.
- Lights, but only if they’re a motion sensor/continuous mix of lights, and the motion sensor ones should be obscenely bright. One type of light is not enough, but both a) defeat stealth and b) kill night vision. You can’t steal what you can’t see because your pupils contracted before you got into the dark house. And very few amateurs carry a flashlight. You’re not trying to draw attention- you’re trying to make it less convenient.
- Weirdly- a locked side gate. One with a padlock or some sort of key lock. These are honestly very easily defeated but could cause a commotion and it looks a lot less casual to jump a fence gate than to just stroll in to the backyard.
- A security gate in front of the door in the back. Preferably one that is a mix of steel poles and thick steel mesh and is affixed from the house-facing side of the door. These can be defeated but it is a loud, messy and comparatively tedious job which could draw attention.
- A really messy garage or basement. Most suburban burglars gain access through the garage or through a basement window. Apparently if the place is a mess and it’s dark, they may stick their head in, see it’s going to be an obstacle course, and leave. Weird.
- A big bird like a macaw or cockatoo. Or an owl. Outside of burglars just generally not liking birds, factually larger birds are absurdly difficult to catch, have nice big talons and very strong beaks. They tend to be very territorial. And they can fly. A pet owl will fuck your shit up if he thinks you’re trespassing on his territory. And that owl knows how your eyes work and will go right for them with his 3 inch razor sharp talons.
- Being home. Most burglars are not interested in home invasions. They’re two different crimes.arly all domesticated animals, including a dog. Unless you’ve got two. I did hear that burglars would often double take and leave if they saw some exotic pet, particularly big cats and loose reptiles like kamen or anything that moves fast (See birds above).
Security gates on the front door. Burglars generally don’t use the front door.
Window security bars. Unless they’re welded on to a steel frame that’s countersunk in to the house frame, which is now illegal. All modern window security bars have an internal quick release feature in case of fire. Even the most inexperienced burglar knows how to defeat this.
Thorny bushes around windows. They’re so easily defeated they’re not even a consideration. A boot can defeat the hardiest rose bush in about 2 seconds.
Security cameras (Fake or real). Unless your local burglar is really stupid, he’s already figured someone is recording him and he doesn’t care or he has concealing clothes for observable marks and facial features. A good shot from a security camera will definitely help police arrest someone, but evidence shows it doesn’t deter someone from committing the crime in the first place.
House alarms. They’re good for monitoring your house but they’re really bad at preventing people from stealing your stuff.
Booby traps. Apparently if you set a trap to deliberately harm or maim someone trying to enter your home uninvited, that’s a crime. Most burglars who suffered injuries did so because they were reckless, inexperienced or just plain dumb. Most improvised booby traps don’t work as intended, don’t work at all or end up destroying more of your own property than the burglar would ever take. Most are easily defeated, too.
Wooden dowels or rods in sliding glass door tracks. Unless the door is somehow obscured from view, burglars generally use the slider as an exit point, not an entry point.
Curtains and blinds. This one IS a bit iffy, but generally burglars don’t look in your house to see if they want to steal something. They look at the cars you have, how updated your house looks and the condition of the property. Once inside, drapes and blinds actually work to their advantage.
OWNING A GUN. I know some people are going to go nuts over this but this is NOT a big consideration for a burglar. Why? 1) The novice probably doesn’t know you own a gun (A professional will and will also know your weaknesses around it). 2) YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE HOME WHEN HE BREAKS IN AND SO HAVING A GUN OR NOT HAVING A GUN IS A MOOT POINT. Except you come home only to find that some punk ass not only took grandma’s pearls but also snatched your fricken gun.
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A very active and visible neighborhood watch program, a very active and visible police force and a very active and visible neighborhood private security detail but you cannot wait that long. Immediate action is required if you are at home at the time. Learn how to protect yourself with tactical hands-on training offered by the Bounty Hunter Academy course or the Dangerous Divas course for women only. These training modules for the Academy or for the women only ‘Dangerous Divas’ program provides you with the advanced skills of Krav Maga and Muay Thai. One second submissions, principles to fend off any armed or unarmed conflict and even expert skills in weapon (gun or knife) disarmaments. Having some non-lethal options are also the way to save the day. You can find the best technology in these type of weaponry which will submit an assailant in a mere second giving you the upper hand and ample time to call 911. To purchase the best technology in non-lethal weaponry I would suggest visiting http://www.bountyhunterstore.com. The courses are offered and sought after by law enforcement, military and SWAT teams.
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About the author: Scott Bernstein is the CEO of Global Security International. A worldwide organization that combats the very essence of crime, Human/Sex Trafficking, Sexual Predators, Parental Abductions, Kidnapping and Runaways. Headquartered in the Research Triangle of North Carolina CRI offers recovery services globally. He has extensive experience as a counter-terrorist Operative and organized crime Intelligence Operative. He is also a Military and Law Enforcement Trainer. He is an author and available as a Consultant and keynote Speaker. In addition to his LinkedIn profile, you can also interact with Scott on his LinkedIn group http://bit.ly/1LMp2hj.
About the author: Scott Bernstein is the CEO of Global Security International. A worldwide organization that combats the very essence of crime, Human/Sex Trafficking, Sexual Predators, Parental Abductions, Kidnapping and Runaways. Headquartered in the Research Triangle of North Carolina CRI offers recovery services globally. He has extensive experience as a counter-terrorist Operative and organized crime Intelligence Operative. He is also a Military and Law Enforcement Trainer. He is an author and available as a Consultant and keynote Speaker. In addition to his LinkedIn profile, you can also interact with Scott on his LinkedIn group http://bit.ly/1LMp2hj. Contributor, Brent Cooper
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Scott Bernstein - law enforcement expert 
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