Straight from the Pros.

As a new homeowner, I'm a little paranoid about getting robbed.  We live in Capitol Hill, which is a cool neighborhood, but there are definitely more curious folk running around here than in Arlington.  I'm kind of a scaredy-cat anyway, but have found that I'm becoming a little more brave now that I have a house. I sleep with a mag-lite next to my bed and kinda want to get a baseball bat to keep somewhere in the house.  I might be overcautious, but it can't hurt.  We do have an alarm, but you can never be too prepared. 

That said, I just saw this post about how burglars burglarize.  Good tips to know.  Thanks to Knight Moves for the info.
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A local magazine called The Advocate recently featured a story about burglars and their methods of attack. The information garnered came straight from a video interview with a professional burglar (who is now serving a life sentence in prison). The interviewee is described as “'James,' a 40-year-old, grungy, white male who has spent one-third of this life in prison."


He averaged about four burglaries a day, six days a week and here are the secrets to his past success:

• Two burglars who know what they’re doing can be in and out of a house within six minutes.
• James worked only between the hours of 8 and 11 a.m., immediately paying a visit to his “fence,” a person who aids the burglar in selling/distributing the property. Your valuables most likely are sold and gone before you even get home from work to report it.
• He almost always entered through the front or back door, using a pry bar tool designed to rip the trim off the door, collapse the sheet rock with little effort. According to North Central police, most burglars in our area gain access through open garage doors.
• James owes a lot of his successful crimes to the UPS delivery guy. “They do it all for you,” he says in the interview. He simply followed the truck and waited for the driver to knock on doors, discover no one was home and leave the package at the doorstep along with a bright yellow sticker.

James' bits of advice for preventing a burglary at your home:

• The No. 1 deterrent: install a reliable home alarm system or at least a sign in the front yard. The No. 2 deterrent: get a dog, preferably one that barks at strangers.
• Keep all blinds and curtains closed, especially at night. If a burglar sees a flat screen on the wall inside the house, you can bet he’ll be back to get it.

It may not be pretty and glamorous, but I found it interesting and wanted to share it, especially since most of us receive more packages via UPS and Fedex during the holidays! Anyhow, just want to help keep you, your home, and your family safe from all of the crazies out there. To read more, visit The Advocate's site - the whole story can be found there.