An event like the recent burglary of our good friends Rich and Dee and the tragic missing of their dogs, affords us an opportunity to once again think about our own security and how we can keep ourselves safe and healthy in Panama.
It begins with understanding how the bad guys size you up as a target.
1) No perimeter defense
This is the number one security failure that makes you attractive to criminals. If they can just walk up to your house, and check out what you have inside, how many people live there and watch you going to bed from outside your bedroom window, you are all set up to become a victim.
2) Easy entry/exit
If they can walk right up to your house and examine doors, windows, bars etc. they will find a weak point that allows them to easily get into your house. Even though it is a little more work, window bars can easily be pried open with a simple car jack so that one person can wiggle in. After that, he opens a door from the inside and your stuff is on the way to David or beyond.
Eliminating this weakness involves everything from perimeter deterrents and alarms to installing double-key deadbolts on entry doors, as recommended by all security experts. The new electronic deadbolts give us yet more options for securing entry doors.
3) Desirable valuables in plain sight
Amazing as it may seem, some people live in houses with big picture windows and no curtains. If a criminal (or a yard worker) can see into those windows, either from close proximity or from a road, then your house is nothing but a display case of desirable merchandise. The shoppers will come to visit when they have knowledge of what you have available for the taking.
Same goes for the interior of your house. If maids, gardeners or other workers can see that your valuable stuff is easily accessible, there is a strong possibility that one of them will, at some time, sell you out.
4) Easy to predict occupancy - beware of workers in the area!
This is the number one way to become a crime victim! A worker on a job site near your house observes your movements for a day or two. When he knows there are two people in the house and they go on shopping trips together, the stage is set. He makes a cell phone call to the burglar in waiting and before you get back from PriceSmart, your stuff is gone - for Rich and Dee, including their dogs. If there are workers in the area, even for only a day, you cannot safely leave your house unattended!
There are a number of things you can do to reduce predictability and make it appear that the house is occupied, thus reducing the threat of break ins.
5) Lack of any visible defense
When a burglar drives by your house, what do they see? No fence - no gate - no security lights - no cameras - no signage - no bars. Looks good. Let's come back when they leave and make a hit. To them, it says you don't really own your property and are not worthy of respect, just as muggers identify their victims by the way they walk and dogs attack people they know know are afraid of them.
You may have the world's best alarm system for detecting a break-in and calling your cell phone, but by then it is too late. Once inside the house, they know that nothing is likely to happen for at least ten minutes, plenty of time to do the job. Do everything you can do to keep them off your property and away from your house.
We all protect our health in many ways - wear our seatbelts, brush our teeth, eat healthy food, get exercise, go to the doctor and so on. We consider this prudent preventative maintenance for a healthy life. But becoming a crime victim is one of the most health-threatening events we can experience, right up there with a serious car accident or a heart attack. Even if the burglary is not violent, the mental trauma is devastating and leaves scars that can last a lifetime.
So doing a little "preventative maintenance" to improve our personal/home security is a very good idea. Below is a short excerpt from the material I use in my security seminars. With a basic understanding of how crime works we can easily protect ourselves from becoming victims - without being paranoid or living in a prison.
It begins with understanding how the bad guys size you up as a target.
1) No perimeter defense
This is the number one security failure that makes you attractive to criminals. If they can just walk up to your house, and check out what you have inside, how many people live there and watch you going to bed from outside your bedroom window, you are all set up to become a victim.
Motion sensor lights and all kinds of perimeter alarms should be your first priority in improving your security. Modern motion sensor alarms are wireless, easy to install, don't require wiring or power and are very reliable.
Your perimeter defense should maximize deterrence - advertise your security and convince the bad guys to just move on. If the bad guys can see that you have well placed and believable security cameras, whether they work or not, motion sensor lights, a visible alarm siren, etc., they are very likely to just move on down the road. An effective deterrence can prevent crime at a fraction of the cost of brute force defenses like impenetrable walls or heavy duty window bars.
2) Easy entry/exit
If they can walk right up to your house and examine doors, windows, bars etc. they will find a weak point that allows them to easily get into your house. Even though it is a little more work, window bars can easily be pried open with a simple car jack so that one person can wiggle in. After that, he opens a door from the inside and your stuff is on the way to David or beyond.
Eliminating this weakness involves everything from perimeter deterrents and alarms to installing double-key deadbolts on entry doors, as recommended by all security experts. The new electronic deadbolts give us yet more options for securing entry doors.
3) Desirable valuables in plain sight
Amazing as it may seem, some people live in houses with big picture windows and no curtains. If a criminal (or a yard worker) can see into those windows, either from close proximity or from a road, then your house is nothing but a display case of desirable merchandise. The shoppers will come to visit when they have knowledge of what you have available for the taking.
Same goes for the interior of your house. If maids, gardeners or other workers can see that your valuable stuff is easily accessible, there is a strong possibility that one of them will, at some time, sell you out.
4) Easy to predict occupancy - beware of workers in the area!
This is the number one way to become a crime victim! A worker on a job site near your house observes your movements for a day or two. When he knows there are two people in the house and they go on shopping trips together, the stage is set. He makes a cell phone call to the burglar in waiting and before you get back from PriceSmart, your stuff is gone - for Rich and Dee, including their dogs. If there are workers in the area, even for only a day, you cannot safely leave your house unattended!
There are a number of things you can do to reduce predictability and make it appear that the house is occupied, thus reducing the threat of break ins.
5) Lack of any visible defense
When a burglar drives by your house, what do they see? No fence - no gate - no security lights - no cameras - no signage - no bars. Looks good. Let's come back when they leave and make a hit. To them, it says you don't really own your property and are not worthy of respect, just as muggers identify their victims by the way they walk and dogs attack people they know know are afraid of them.
You may have the world's best alarm system for detecting a break-in and calling your cell phone, but by then it is too late. Once inside the house, they know that nothing is likely to happen for at least ten minutes, plenty of time to do the job. Do everything you can do to keep them off your property and away from your house.
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