Self Defense Information

Burglary - Part 4 of 4

Vulnerability of the Elderly

Three primary injuries which victims may suffer during the course of a burglary, assault or robbery are: (1) physical injury, (2) financial injury, and (3) psychological injury.

1. Physical Injury
Increased physical frailty and decreased physical ability are both part of the aging pattern. These, of course, add to an older person’s vulnerability to physical injury.
Older people often have a fear of falling because of their self-awareness of the fragility of their bones. If an older woman is injured during a purse snatch, it may result in permanent disability, even though the injury would have been for a younger person relatively minor — a broken hip, arm or wrist.Ann Carter,* age seventy-three, was knocked down in a purse snatch. Her hip was broken in the fall. She was in a hospital for a month and then sent to a nursing home. She never recovered sufficiently to return home.When Gerald Anderson’s house was burglarized while he was sleeping, the burglar not only took the television but threw Gerald’s glasses on the floor and broke them. Gerald, age sixty-nine, was left unable to read his daily paper or watch television. He became depressed and tried to take his own life.

2. Financial Injury
Financial vulnerability is another by-product of aging. Older people are often condemned to live on fixed incomes, which do not reflect rising costs of living. When inflation is taken into account, some estimate that as many as 36 percent of the elderly do not have enough income to survive by themselves.To these, the financial impact of burglary, assault or robbery can be devastating. The larceny of $50 may mean that an individual goes without food, or medication, or even forfeits his/her apartment because of lack of rent. When Eunice Ladd’s purse was snatched, she lost $100. Her heat and lights were cut off in the following month, because she had not been able to pay her utility bills. She remained without heat and lived in candlelight for three additional months because of the extra charges she would have to pay to reconnect the utilities.Burglaries and vandalism cause untold damage and require repair and replacement. One would argue that such impact can be ameliorated by private insurance; in fact, even if people could afford it, such coverage is rarely adequate. Not only do most insurance policies have heavy deductibles which require the insured to pay the first $100 - $500 worth of damage, but the actual reimbursement rate is likely to be far less than the replacement value of the damage or loss.

Mary and John Travis’ home and furniture were so destroyed by the vandalism that accompanied their burglary that they could not afford to clean or repair it. They were forced to move from the house in which they had lived for thirty-five years. They ended up living a lonely life in an apartment far from their friends and their neighbors.

3. Psychological Injury
Some gerontologists have suggested that the single most critical age-related difference in physiology is a diminishing ability to respond to stress (physical and emotional) and to return to the pre-stress level.

Crime is an extraordinary trauma. Most victims suffer some discomfort and stress as a result of even the smallest kind of crime. Some have suggested that 20 percent of all victims seem to exhibit severe stress reactions. And 5 percent of all victims are likely to go into emotional crisis. Elderly victims are among those types of victims who are viewed as high crisis risks following crime.

The elderly victim may have already been trying to deal with a growing sense of dependence and helplessness. Mildred Stone was so upset after being robbed that she began to calm herself through the use of alcohol. She became afraid of leaving her home. She found she couldn’t concentrate on day-to-day events in her life and began to stay in bed for most of the day. She didn’t go out, didn’t see friends, didn’t talk to anyone. One day a friend came to see her and found her so ill from malnutrition and alcohol abuse that she had to be hospitalized at once.
* All names of victims mentioned in this section have been changed to preserve confidentiality.
This information is re-printed from the US Dept. of Justice Web-site, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/

Would you like to be alerted when… cars are coming up the drive…Children go inside your tool shed…Intruders approach the front or backyard..Someone enters your garage…Visitors are walking to the front door…Your parked boat or motor home has been boarded…kids or pets trample your flowers…THEN YOU NEED THE VOICE ALERT SYSTEM-6.

Burglary - Part 3 of 4

How to Help the Victim of Burglary, Robbery or Assault

It is important, when addressing the needs of the victim of a robbery, assault or burglary, for the you to not minimize the extent of trauma to the victim, the victim’s family or his/her friends and neighbors. In light of the intensity of some other crimes, one might be tempted to minimize these crimes, particularly if the offense is not aggravated (involving the use of a weapon).

However, this time of victimization involves many of the same dynamics as are found in other crimes which might be considered more major. The sense of violation and loss always accompanies these crimes. A woman victim of a burglary, who came home and found that her personal clothing items had been rifled through, said that she was now unable to wear any of these items. It is the invasion of private space that is so offensive.

Also there is usually a material loss. Since these types of crimes, unless aggravated, are lower on the priority of law enforcement, there is often just a report made for insurance purposes and nothing more. The victim is re-offended by the casualness of some law enforcement personnel regarding the apprehension of the offender. The attitude that “the insurance will take care of it” often disturbs the victim. It is important that the you as the victim’s supporter assist with any insurance problems that may occur; however, do not reinforce an “insurance will take care of it” attitude. Insurance does not make it right.

Often there is the loss of items which are not of much material value, but are priceless from the standpoint of treasured mementos and photographs. These are irreplaceable.

Then there is the safety factor. Anyone who has suffered a robbery or a burglary is concerned about its repetition. If the theft has been from a car the victim will probably from then on, without fail, always lock the car. If it is from the home, increased security measures are taken. This type of crime always leaves the victim less free and more cautious, often in a way that may seem overly cautious. If the counseling agent becomes concerned about the victim becoming paranoid, it is important that he/she not minimize the reason for this caution, and deal with it gently with understanding.

Of course, aggravated robbery involves the threat of major injury or even death, and all of the symptoms akin to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder may be exhibited…shock, fear, anger, nausea, sleeplessness, “unreasonable” fear of others, inability to go to or be in certain places, reliving of the event, etc. It is well for you as a support to the victim to suggest psychological counseling, or the victim’s participation in a trauma support group.

Most jurisdictions now have victim and witness assistance programs either in connection with prosecutor’s offices or law enforcement. Make yourself aware of these programs and assist the victim in making contact. These offices provide information on compensation for loss, as well as on psychological and support programs.
This document was last updated on January 16, 2000. This information is re-printed from the US Dept. of Justice Web-site, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/

The TeleSpy is an ordinary telephone that doubles as a monitoring system. Simply enter any phone number you want the unit to call and turn the motion sensor switch to on. Should motion be detected the phone will dial the number entered and upon answering you will be able to listen in via the amplified microphone on the unit. The TeleSpy allows you to decide from a safe location if it is a friend or foe before you call the police. The listening period is about 30 seconds, then the TeleSpy disconnects and instantly re-arms to detect again and again. TeleSpy operates from any phone line, requires no installation, and is completely portable. No monitoring fees, No false alarms.

Burglary - Part 2 of 4

What Victims of, or Witnesses to, Burglary, Robbery and Assault Should Do: 

1. Get a good description of the offender.
o Carefully observe and remember as much as possible about appearance and behavior.
o Try to memorize details of the person’s physical identity (age, height, weight, color of eyes and hair). A good way to determine height and weight is to compare the person to yourself or someone you know, or to note the person’s size and build relative to an object or a doorway located where the crime is occurring.
o Look for distinguishing personal characteristics, such as scars, tattoos, hair style, or other prominent features.
o Observe the person’s clothing (style and colors), jewelry, gait and manner of speech.
o If a car is involved in the incident, note the make, model, color and license number.2. Call the police emergency number immediately to make a crime report. The sooner you report the crime, the more likely it is that the police will be able to collect important evidence and apprehend the offender.

Why spend hundreds of dollars on a security system and pay monitoring fees when you can get the MACE WIRELESS HOME SECURITY SYSTEM for a fraction of the cost? This easy to operate security system will sound an alarm and dial up 5 preset phone numbers to let you know motion has been detected or a door or window has opened in your home. A land line with “tone” dialing is required.

Burglary - Part 1 of 4

In January 1985, Steven R. Schlesinger, Director of the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, in a bulletin on Household Burglaries, made the following statement:
“Household burglary ranks among the more serious felony crimes, not only because it involves the illegal entry of one’s home, but also because a substantial proportion of the violent crimes that occur in the home take place during a burglary incident. Thus, burglary is potentially a far more serious crime than its classification as a property offense indicates; for many victims, including those that avoid the trauma of personal confrontation, the invasion of their home on one or more occasions constitutes a violation that produces permanent emotional scars.”

Definition:

BURGLARY — Unlawful entry of any fixed structure, vehicle, or vessel used for regular residence, industry, or business, with or without force, with the intent to commit a larceny.
ROBBERY — The unlawful taking or attempted taking of property that is in the immediate possession of another, by force or threat of force.
LARCENY-THEFT — Unlawful taking or attempted taking of property other than a motor vehicle (motor vehicle theft is a separate category) from the possession of another, by stealth, without force and without deceit, with intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property.

Reducing the Risk of a Burglary

1. Join or start a Neighborhood Watch. Your local police department has a crime prevention office or officer who will give you assistance.
2. Lock doors and windows.
3. Light the outside of the house; trim shrubs.
4. Install good dead-bolt locks, window gates and an alarm system.
5. Ask a neighbor to keep an eye on things.
6. Make the house appear occupied. Use timers, and when on vacation, stop deliveries and arrange to have circulars collected, the lawn mowed and garbage put out.
7. Etch identifying numbers on valuables, and move them out of the bedroom, the first place a burglar looks.
8. Never open your door to a stranger; use a peephole, not a door chain.
This information is re-printed from the US Dept. of Justice Web-site, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/

WINDOW ALERT is a 95 decibel glass breakage alarm that attaches to windows and is set off by vibrations caused if someone tries to break through. Installs easily on any window. Solid state-of-the-art design.

Other inexpensive HOME PROTECTION devices are
the MAGNET DOOR ALARM, DUAL FUNCTION DOOR BRACE, MINI ALERT ALARM, MOTION ALERT, and AUTO DIALER SECURITY, SUPER DOOR STOP ALARM and ELECTRONIC WATCH DOG.

No matter how inexpensive a device, it can always be better than nothing.

Read 4 part Burglary series we’re posting during this week.

More than 900 children between 1 and 14 die each year in drowning accidents.
In California, drowning is the number one cause of accidental death for children 1-4 years of age.

But, do you really need these statistics to convince you to do everything you can to prevent this from happening to your child or grandchild?

The Pool Protector (not to be confused with the brand Poolguard™) is an electronic monitoring system that automatically sounds an alarm when children or pets fall into your unsupervised pool. It’s portable, self-contained and light weight. The unit is simple to operate. Entry into the pool will be detected by the Pool Alarm’s electronic sensor, triggering a loud pulsating alarm at the unit and inside your house from the remote receiver.