13 Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You:

 1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just
last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or
delivering your new refrigerator.
 
 2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I
was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I
unlatched the back window to make my return a little
easier.
 
 3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste
... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard
toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of
gaming system they have.
 
 4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on
the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front
door to see how long it takes you to remove it.
 
 5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a
neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house.
Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
 
 6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance,
don't let your alarm company install the control pad
where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.
 
 7. A good security company alarms the window over the
sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often
access the master bedroom-and your jewelry. It's not a
bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
 
 8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your
umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable.
But understand this: I don't take a day off because of
bad weather.
 
 9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask
for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters.
(Don't take me up on it.)
 
 10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock
drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table,
and the medicine cabinet.
 
 11. Helpful hint: I almost never go into kids'
rooms.
 
 12. You're right: I won't have enough time to
break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if
it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.
 
 13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than
the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your
TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device
that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a
real television. (Find it at <http://faketv.com/faketv.com.)
 

 8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:

 1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress
like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never,
ever look like a crook.
 
 2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy
neighbors.
 
 3. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes
a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound,
he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it
again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go
back to what he was doing. It's human nature.
 
 4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all
that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house
without setting it?
 
 5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for
signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or
gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through
your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds,
just to pick my targets.
 
 6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook
page. It's easier than you think to look up your
address.
 
 7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack
during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me,
it's an invitation.
 
 8. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the
door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.
 
 Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon,
California, and Kentucky; security consultant Chris McGoey,
who runs <http://crimedoctor.com/crimedoctor.com;
and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the
University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105
burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.