Self Defense Information

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/

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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.