Recently, I had the honor of meeting an interesting young man who, after a young life of larceny, managed to discover that he had a purpose in life after all and decided to change his ways for the better. The man, who I’ll call Rogue, shared some thoughts on how honest men and women can avoid being victims of crime. His ideas run the gambit from how to act when encountering  thugs on the street, to simple but effective tips designed to make your home less attractive to thieves and home invaders. What follows are a few of his tips, in his own words. 

– Associate Editor
 Lawrence Keeney

Like most people, I’ve done my share of things of which I’m not proud. Actually I’ve done more than my share. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t regret anything. Everything I’ve done in life has lead me to where I am today. Personally, I’m fairly proud of how far I’ve come. Nonetheless, I have done a whole lot that I shouldn’t have done. When I was 13 years old I robbed my first house. Don’t ask why I did it – because, quite frankly, I wont tell you. I’m not the kind of person who likes to spew excuses, such as financial problems or lack of a home life, to justify the things I’ve done.  I don’t think that anyone wants to hear it. I know I don’t.

For five years or so, I stole for a living.

I burglarized homes and was well on my way to becoming a career criminal. I also happened to be hooked on drugs. I was hooked on so many drugs, in fact, that my body chemistry probably looks like a Dow® chemical plant. While I robbed people’s homes, I always made certain that no one was home. Luckily, I was very successful in avoiding situations where anyone could have been injured. Careful surveillance of the homes I chose to burglarize made me fairly sure no one was there when I went to work.

Around my eighteenth birthday, I did quite a bit of soul searching and realized that I wasn’t proud of the man I was becoming. So I forced myself to clean up. I quit using drugs and stopped taking things that didn’t belong to me. Now, after six years of poverty & withdrawal, I find myself happier with myself. Life isn’t as easy or simple as it once was, but I know that I’m on the right track to achieve my life-long goal of being the type of man that I would be proud to know. When I was 21 I realized that there was still an old warrant out for my arrest, so I faced the music and did my time. Now I am writing this article so that you can prevent your home from becoming an easy target for someone like I used to be. I’m not doing this as a type of penance or anything like that. I just figured that I’m not using this information any more, so perhaps I should share it to keep others from using it against you.

Here I’ll discuss the various aspects of what makes a home a more difficult target for anyone who would attempt to steal from or endanger it.

The Yard

Take a look at your front yard. How safe would someone be if they were trying to sneak through it? Can your neighbors see in? Often people enjoy the solitude of their home, so they allow the trees & shrubs to grow nice and tall to create a wall around their home. This provides a nice sense of privacy for the home owner. Unfortunately, it also provides a nice sense of security for anyone attempting to rob your home. Trim your shrubs and make sure your neighbors can see in. Don’t make it easy for thugs to take your goods.

Do you have a fence? If not, it sure is a lot easier for someone to walk out with large objects. If I were carrying your television I sure would hate it if I had to go around or over a fence. Add a fence to your property. Make it as tall as you can, while still allowing the neighbors to see inside. If the fence is too tall for me to jump over I’m less likely to try to get something big out of your home. If you go on a trip or stay away from your home longer than a 24-hour period, put a lock on the gate. The basic concept is to try to take away as many entry and exit points as possible. Most fences are lockable but most people don’t lock them, making it easier for people who shouldn’t be there to go in and out

Alarms

Do you have a security system? If so, does it work? A lot of people have these expensive security systems that they never turn on. If you have one, use it. If you don’t have one, get one. Most security systems alert the cops that someone is in your home. Make sure it’s installed on all the windows and doors. Try to get motion detectors near any skylights you may have and put a motion detector or two in your garage. Skylights and garages are often neglected and overlooked as entry points. I know a lot of you have some expensive tools in your garage that you would hate to lose.

Pets

A dog is by far the best security system that money can buy. If you don’t have a dog, get one. It doesn’t have to be a large limb-ripping beast. Any little yapper will do. Dogs are territorial by nature and make a whole lot of noise when someone comes into the home. If you own a gun it’s a lot easier to get it ready to defend your family if you know someone is in the house. Most burglars (at least the ones with even the slightest bit of intelligence) won’t invade a home that has a dog unless they’re looking for something very specific and they know the location of what they want to take. As a general rule, if a burglar stays in a home that has a dog for longer than 2 minutes, he’s caught. If you have a dog and a security system, your home is safer than a bank. Of course, if you keep the dog in the house you’ll have to turn off the motion detectors.

If you keep your dog outside in a fenced yard without a leash, chances are most thieves are going to pass your home by in favor of an easier target. A dog also makes a good security system for your car. There are almost no crooks that will try to steal a car with a dog in it. If your dog enjoys going for rides, bring him along when you go to the store just to pick up some milk. Often a thief will toss the dog a piece of meat or a snack of some sort, but if he can’t make it off the property before the dog finishes eating then he’s as good as caught.

Weapons

In our society, the right to defend yourself is often debated. Well, let me tell you what I think from a criminal’s standpoint: If you are not proficient in the use of a weapon, you’re a victim. It’s as simple as that. If someone pulls out a knife and all you can pull out is your hand, you’re in trouble. Buy a gun and take classes to become proficient in its use. If you believe someone is in your house, get your gun ready and hide behind your bed for cover. Make sure you and your spouse each own a gun and know how to use them.  While your wife hides behind the bed for cover, talking to the folks at 911, you should carefully get your kids and bring them into your room. This way, the entire family can be under cover in a “safe room.”

If someone must leave the room to get the kids, send a man rather than a woman whenever possible. I’m not making any sort of sexist statement, nor am I being chivalrous. The fact is that intimidation is an important factor when dealing with criminals of any kind. In my experience with thugs, a woman does not intimidate most crooks as easily as does a man. For some odd, primitive, foolish reason, criminals simply aren’t scared of women (even when they should be). So, to minimize the possibility of shots being fired, the person who leaves the room should be the man of the house. The only reason he should leave the room is to get the kids and bring them back.

[Editor’s note:  I believe Rogue’s assessment of the criminal mindset is correct.  I have no problem imagining that the average home-invading thug is a chauvinist pig who dismisses the threat to him that a woman in the house poses. I think the average criminal dismisses such a threat at his peril, but the object of Rogue’s advice is to make things as difficult as possible for burglars.  As such, knowing what does or does not intimidate the average home-breaker is very important.]

If you don’t own a gun, grab anything. Believe it or not, most burglars aren’t armed when they rob a house. Even if they are, they seem to prefer knives, so you are  better off holding a baseball bat than nothing at all. Do not let your guard down until the police have arrived, or until you are sure the threat has passed.

CONCLUSION

Remember: far as you’re concerned, the crook always has a gun and is willing to use it. This is by far the most important thing to keep in your mind under the “better safe than sorry” category. I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage “every gun is always loaded”. The same sense of caution applies to the defense of your home and your family.  Assume the worst: every burglar is armed and wants to hurt your family.