Subdivsion Residents Fighting for Security Camera

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Condominium Association, Subdivision Association, or Neighborhood Association, whatever the name is, if you live in one and pay dues and have a board of directors that makes decisions for the community in regards to what you can and can’t do on a property, you probably feel my pain.

I like that bush, I hate that bush, no swing-sets, I want a swing-set, no pets, I want a cat BLAH BLAH BLAH!!

In Atlanta in what the residents of the subdivision considered a “safe neighborhood” a group of men climbed into a basement window of a woman’s home and stole every piece of jewelry, cash and electronics. She now has double deadlocks and door jams. She lives in fear and her home is not the same.

She was quoted saying “As a result, now I literally live like a hermit, with the lights off. I have security cameras up, bars on my windows. I have to go, literally, with a key room to room in my house, because they continue to affect my neighborhood.”

The neighborhood has had 2 burglaries in the past month. One neighbor took a bullet during a breaking.  If this is a “safe neighborhood” then my neighborhood is Fort Knox safe.

“Some residents said that they want home security cameras, but the president of the homeowners association says that’s not going to happen. In a lot of ways, the battle is over what is more important, personal safety or personal privacy.”

Privacy does you no good when you are shot dead by an intruder.

“The camera won’t be any, any good for the security, as far as safety for the community, just one camera,” said the association president.

One home security camera is better than zero cameras. It’s all about layers of security. The more proactive layers in place the more secure you will be. Wake up Mr. President.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Police Warn Burglars Are Using Social Networks

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The sage advice used to be “don’t tell the world you are on vacation via your outgoing answering machine.” Then we pretty much eliminated answering machines and the advice pertained to voicemail. As we got more technology, the same message was don’t tell the world you are on vacation via your emails auto responder.

For a few years now I’ve been warning people about how vulnerable they are when they post their whereabouts in social media. And it looks like the bad-guy figured it out and is taking advantage of peoples’ naiveté.

In Nashua, NH, police busted a bunch of burglars they say used Facebook as a tool to gather intelligence on who is home and who is not home.

“Police said they recovered between $100,000 and $200,000 worth of stolen property as a result of an investigation.  Police said there were 50 home burglaries in the city in August. Investigators said the suspects used social networking sites such as Facebook to identify victims who posted online that they would not be home at a certain time.

“Be careful of what you post on these social networking sites,” said Capt. Ron Dickerson. “We know for a fact that some of these players, some of these criminals, were looking on these sites and identifying their targets through these social networking sites.”

It is obvious to me that none of these homes had home security systems, alarms or cameras. Due to the fact they were successfully burglarized. And once an intruder enters your home and does their dirty deed, your “castle” and how you feel in it is never the same.

Protecting yourself is real simple. Be cautious about what you post on social media and consider an investment in a home security system.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Social Media and giving out to much information on the CBS Early Show. Disclosures.

World War II Veteran Fights Off Suspect in Home Invasion

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An elderly World War II veteran fought off a man who had broken into his home and attacked the Marine veteran.

The Boston Herald reports the Vet was sitting in his living room watching TV and his wife was upstairs. The home invader comes in and attacked the Vet, then “as he was being attacked, the man shouted, drawing the attention of his wife who then called police while the suspect fled when the retired Marine fought back.”

Immediately the state and local police went into the neighborhood and found the perpetrator “soaking wet and had fresh blood on his white t-shirt and cuts on his hands and was found to have property stolen from the home”.

Everyone loves a happy ending.

Resistance in an attack has been proven in most cases to send the attacker fleeing. Resistance can be a tricky proposition whether or not a weapon is involved. As long as you survive, you’ve done the right thing.

Every family must have a plan for home security and a home security alarm.

Consider a trained German shepherd as a protection dog as well.

Another consideration is a home safe-room also known as a “panic room” where families can hide out in a relatively bullet proof, well stocked room equipped with wireless communications and wait for law enforcement to show up.

Never talk to strangers via an open or screen door. Always talk to them through a locked door.

NEVER let children open the doors. Always require an adult to do it.

Not all home invaders knock, some break in without warning.  That’s just another reason to have that home alarm on while you are home.

Install a 24-hour camera surveillance system. Security cameras are a great deterrent.  Have them pointed to every door and access point.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing home invasions on the Gordon Elliot Show. Disclosures

Celebrity Burglaries and Home Invasions

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I’m not one to dish on celebs, although I did just meet Mario Lopez on the set of EXTRA. Cool dude took a pic with me. Celebs are no different than you and I. They are fallible and vulnerable humans, who just get lots more attention.

With one big exception; they are much bigger targets than we are because often they are moneyed.

A half dozen teens from a hoity toity suburb of LA fancied the celeb lifestyle and considered themselves part of the “in” crowd. While they lived the celeb lifestyle by hanging out in all the clubs, staying up all night and doing drugs, their thirst for drugs led to the need for more money to pay for those drugs. So they started to steal. They first started to break into cars. That was their “gateway” felony which led to breaking into homes. They were dubbed the “Bling Ring” and many are now in jail.

Their methods were simple. They tracked their victims by using social media, Facebook and Twitter. They knew when they were home and when they were away.  They even used Google Earth to scope out their homes.

They would approach a home and knock on the door and ring the bell. If nobody was home they’d jiggle the door knob. When a door was locked they looked under the mat for a key and often found one.

In 2008 Paris Hiltons home was burglarized. Shortly afterwards she installed a burglar alarm to prevent another home invasion. Many people install an alarm after their house is robbed. They react emotionally opposed to being proactive with a home security installation to protect their homes and families.

Paris Hilton recently tweeted she was almost the victim of a home invasion by a man carrying two kitchen knives. Her publicist was quoted saying “”The security cameras and alarm system were alerted and the police immediately came to the house and arrested the intruder who was attempting to break a window when they arrived.”

Without an investment in security this could have been a lot worse. And situations like this happen to millions of “everyday” people annually. Protect yourself for a dollar a day with a monitored system.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Home Security on NBC Boston. Disclosures.

9 Tips to Protect Your Home from a Summertime Burglar

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Nationwide, “burglars made off with $4.6 billion in electronics, jewelry, cash and other items in 2008, according to the FBI. In more than 30 percent of those burglaries, the thief got inside without forcing open a door or window. Many occurred during the day.”

As you pack your car for your next road trip, realize someone’s probably watching.  Neighbors often peek their heads through their windows when they see activity. I’m one of those neighbors. I like to see what is going on and I often keep tabs on who is doing what and when. If a neighbor is leaving to travel, I know about it.

I’m not nosy, I’m security conscious. Nosy is when the neighbor asks questions and pokes around your business. Security conscious is when you observe, adopt situational awareness and try to identify if the rolled up rug your neighbor is stuffing in their trunk is just a rug or if that rug has his wife in it.

Burglars use these same observation tactics. They look for signs you are traveling. They look for outside lights on 24 hours a day. They look for dark homes inside at nighttime. They look for no car in the driveway, mail and news papers piled up or uncut grass that’s three weeks overgrown.  And they look to see you packing your car before a trip. A bad neighbor or his bad seed of a kid may be peering through their windows when you pack. That kid may end up in your house hours after you leave.

The Washington Post reports “but police say there are simple steps residents can take to make it less likely their home will be the next target. “Reduce the opportunity,” District Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said. “People don’t just walk down the street and decide ‘I’m going to hit your home today.’ They do some casing. The key, police say, is securing your home and eliminating signs that you are away. Doors and windows should be locked even if you’re only heading to the park or a neighborhood barbecue for a few hours.”

Here are a few tips to help protect the safety of your home while you are on vacation:

  • Pack your car in your garage or late at night under the cover of darkness.
  • Use timers on indoor and outdoor lights.
  • Let a trusted neighbor and the police know you are traveling.
  • Unplug garage door openers.
  • Have a neighbor park their car in your driveway.
  • Have a landscaper mow your lawn.
  • Don’t share yourhttp://www.homesecuritysource.com/Blogs.aspx?TopicName=Travel travel plans on social media or on a voicemail outgoing message.
  • Lock everything of significant value in a safe.
  • Invest in a home security camera system and home security alarm system.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Toddler Used As Decoy in Burglaries

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A confidence trick or confidence game (also known as a bunko, con, flim flam, gaffle, grift, hustle, scam, scheme, swindle or bamboozle) is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. The victim is known as the mark, the trickster is called a confidence man, con man, confidence trickster, or con artist, and any accomplices are known as shills. Confidence men or women exploit human characteristics such as greed and dishonesty, and have victimized individuals from all walks of life.

Social engineering is the act of manipulating people into performing certain actions or divulging confidential information. While similar to a confidence trick or simple fraud, the term typically applies to trickery or deception for the purpose of information gathering, fraud, or computer system access; in most cases the attacker never comes face-to-face with the victim.

Call them con men, grifters, scammers, or thieves. Or simply call them liars. Lying is what they do best. They stare you in the eyes and lie through their teeth. They do it casually and with such conviction that we have no reason not to believe them. Their craft and skill is a remorseless trait called social engineering, which is also known as pre-texting.

Lying is a learned behavior. One day as children we stumble upon a situation, one that we created or were a party to, and we are confronted by someone in authority. Most likely mom, dad, or a teacher. We are asked a question and we respond with what we think they want to hear, as opposed to the truth. We lie. They believe us and we are relieved of the burden of truth’s consequences.

“They all thought they were helping a woman and her child, but Sanford police say the woman duped them. She cried wolf they said.

They said she knocked on four of her neighbors’ doors with a sob story. Twice she used her toddler to get into their houses. “She asked me ‘help, I need help. My car’s overheating. My baby’s suffocating,’” a victim. “I went into my room and I noticed that my jewelry box was open and everything was gone, I’m nervous. I sleep armed. I can’t sleep,” the unidentified victim said. “You feel stupid at first and you just wish the world wouldn’t be that way.”

Sometime the most effective way to penetrate the most secure system is through someone else’s good nature. It’s always important to help. And, it’s equally important to smell a rat.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Home Invasions on Montel Williams. Disclosures

Apartments Likely Targets of Burglary

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According to the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), apartments are 85% more likely to be victimized by a burglary than any other form of housing.

There are many reasons why apartments are targeted for burglaries. Here are a few:

Problem: In an apartment setting the residents live among other people. One tenant in a complex who has a propensity for theft may target units within. When he knows you aren’t home, that’s when he breaks in.

Solution: Alarm it. Apartment security systems trump all other options. And keep your TV or radio on to give the impression you are home. Even if your car is gone and he knows it, the alarm will screech and alert the authorities when you’re gone.

Problem: Mailboxes often signal who lives at the apartment. A single name on a mailbox may give the burglar the impression you might not be home during the day due to the fact most people work 9-5.

Solution: Put Your Name and Another Name on the mailbox. Tell your landlord ahead of time so they understand why.

Problem: You go on vacation or travel on business and the mail piles up and the lights are always off. Your apartment is seen by many other who notice you’re gone. This is called : “a crime of opportunity”.

Solution: Give your apartment the lived in look. Keep a TV on, shades down, put your lights on timers and have a friend grab your mail.

Problem: People in apartments often do not lock windows on upper levels thinking they are more secure. They forget that ladders and fire escapes can provide access even 3-4 levels up.

Solution: Lock your windows and make sure your apartment security system is applied to your windows and alerts you via the alarm whenever they are opened. You can also install motion sensors and glass break sensors as extra layers of security.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Cops Encourage Burglary Prevention

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Let it be known and publicly stated right here and right now that I love law enforcement. Even though I’ve been pulled over for various vehicular infractions, but I’m not bitter. I’ve encountered officers of the law that may have taken themselves a bit too seriously, but I’ve meet plenty of flight attendants who fit the same profile. We are all just humans trying to get through this thing called life. It’s all good.

In Fort Wayne Indiana the local Police Department responded to a string of home burglaries that they are calling ‘crimes of opportunity’ and offer suggestions on how homeowners can prevent themselves from becoming victims of such crimes.

Some of the burglaries occur while people are sleeping in their homes.  They burglars were reported coming in through unsecured doors and windows. I don’t know where you live but in many parts of the country people don’t lock their doors because they don’t want to be “paranoid” I don’t know how lock your door can make you mentally ill. Maybe they know something I don’t.

One of the cops was quoted saying “Because they, (the homeowner), made it easier on the suspect or suspects to get into their home, it became a crime of opportunity. Whereas maybe those homes that were more secure, the suspect may have even gone to those homes and didn’t choose them because they were more secure, presenting more risk to him or her.” This is why I love law enforcement. Because of officials t like this guy who speak in common sense.

Be in charge of your home security:

  • Keep doors locked day and night and every time you leave your home.
  • Use wide-angle peepholes
  • Make sure glass is reinforced so they cannot be shattered.
  • Doors from attached garages must be solid and locked
  • Lock the overhead garage door – do not just rely on an automatic door opener.
  • Sliding glass doors should have strong locks.
  • Never leave a message on your voicemail or social media that indicates you are away.
  • Trim all shrubbery near doors and windows.
  • Use timed interior lights and outdoor timed or motion lights
  • Never leave a garage door opener inside your vehicle.
  • Install security cameras that can be remotely monitored.
  • Install a home alarm system monitored by an alarm company and the police.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Brazen Burglars Broke into the Same House Three Times in a Week

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In the first hit they made off with a television and four-figure sum of cash, plus a key to the garden shed.

They came back, let themselves into the shed, and took garden tools but were spotted by the returning home owners.

The GazzetteNews reported the homeowner investigated after noticing the shed door was open, and saw four people in the park behind the house, two of them were holding the tools stolen from the shed and the group ran off.

The burglars then made a third attempt on the house and caused damage to the property.

Local law enforcement well aware of the ongoing break-ins assembled a team of detectives to thwart the property crimes and to try and break the pattern.

Their strategy is to visit well-known suspects, keeping tabs on their whereabouts and doing what they can to “divert” these individuals from crime.

“They also work closely with victims, providing them with support and giving them advice on home and personal safety.” “Anyone who has had to deal with a burglary will know that it’s not just the financial loss that is difficult; more often than not, items of huge sentimental value are taken, so it also has a huge emotional impact too.”

“This is completely unacceptable and the teams will be doing all they can to prevent this from happening to residents in our communities.”

Bravo to all involved in the effort to preserve the sanctity of citizen’s rights to safety and security.

But what’s missing in this story is the homeowner being proactive and doing something to keep the burglars out in the first place. Often a home alarm monitored at a dollar a day will do the trick. In my case, first my cameras see them coming day and night and that notifies me with an audible alert. Second, once they get close enough the German Shepherd lets me and them know she is ready. Third, the doors and windows are all locked. Fourth they need to get through the home alarm system and if they trip it, the local police are called.

If they do make their way in, the Shepherd knows what to do next. Me? If I’m home I’m taking the family out of there as quickly as possible and heading to safety, then pizza.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to ADT Home Security Source discussing Home Security on NBC Boston. Disclosures.