Five Signs your House is Being Cased by a Burglar
Do burglars leave signs of casing your home to being broken into? In some cases yes. If you don't know what "casing" means, it's okay.
Casing is the process by which thieves observe your home for valuables and patters so they can determine if your home is going be an easy target for a robbery.
Here are some tried and true methods the bad guys use to case your home.
1) Peeping - If you have windows on the first floor of your home, potential burglars will peer through the glass to see if they can spot anything of value inside. In most cases, they're looking for items that can be grabbed quickly to be pawned or fenced easily. Keep your valuables out of plain sight.
2) Tracking - Thieves may watch your home for several days to track when you leave and when you come home. Most bad guys don't want a physical confrontation in the house, that just complicates things and adds time to the crime. Look for people who are lingering in your neighborhood with no real purpose.
3) Scams - Burglars will be bold and knock on your door. They may appear to be salesmen or lost and will ring your doorbell to see if you are home and who answers the door. This is also a good way to discover if there is a dog inside and how big it is. Burglars are less likely to enter a home with a large dog.
4) Running - Another surveillance technique sometimes used is to run or walk in a neighborhood. They may try and disguise themselves in athletic clothes or they may stick out wearing clothing that doesn't fit their activity. If you see someone like this, acknowledge them with a friendly "Hello" or wave. Let them know, in a covert nice way, that they've been seen.
5) Flyers - Ever get those annoying flyers about lawn services or new takeout restaurants? Sometimes they are legitimate, but sometimes they are markers for thieves. Regardless, you need to dispose of them as soon as you can. Your home may appear unoccupied if a door hanger flyer stays for too long.
In 72% of residential burglaries, no one is home.
Again, common burglars don't want to fight you for your stuff. They want a soft, easy target to hit quickly and vanish. You can make your home a hard target for thieves by subtly speaking their language. You can position your home to say, "This house is not your target. Move on."
To get started securing your home, try my free guide. You can download my Home Security Quick Reference right now for free. Sleep better tonight knowing your home is safer and ready to tell the bad guys to move on.
About the Author:
Andy Murphy founded The Secure Dad in 2016 because he realized that "Every Parent is a Protector".
Find out more ways to protect your family and secure your home at TheSecureDad.com or by listening to The Secure Dad Podcast.
