Burglaries Often Happen When People Are Home

You might be sleeping, doing laundry in the basement, or simply watching TV, and you may accidentally walk into a burglar at work. The burglar may be just as surprised to see you as you are to see him.

The Associated Press reports that “Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies acting on a tip have arrested a 35-year-old Everett man in connection with a home burglary in which a 70-year-old woman was tied to a toilet.

“Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Shari Ireton said the woman interrupted the Tuesday afternoon burglary, leading the intruder to tie her up. The woman was able to free herself after about an hour and then called 911. She was not seriously injured and declined aid. The intruder stole the woman’s 2011 silver Ford Escape.”

The obvious problem with bumping into a burglar in your kitchen is that it can end violently—or, in this case, tied to a toilet.

Burglars case a home and look for activity. If they see none, they simply enter through unlocked doors or break in through a door or window. Many alarms are only installed after a home is broken into, and even then many people don’t turn them on when they’re at home during the day. Once a home is burgled, people lose their sense of security and try to gain it back through the installation of an alarm system. A home alarm system can certainly provide security, but people who are victimized in this way often face years of emotional aftershocks.

The key to security is thinking proactively and doing things to secure yourself and your family before something bad happens. Don’t think “It can’t happen to me”; instead, think “Yes, there is a chance this can happen and I’m going to set an example and do something about it.”

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.