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Stupid Criminal of the week stages fake Burglary

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Mondays are the pits for many people, because this day starts their work week. Dwayne Yeager was no exception; so badly did he want to avoid going in to the job on Monday, that he did something really dumb to get out of it.

3BThat’s because, according to deputies, his wife didn’t want him to miss work doing fabrication at a plant, which is actually what he did to avoid going into work: He fabricated a burglary of his house. Stupid.

Yeager, 31, called authorities a bit after 7 a.m. and said, “I need a sheriff in Brandon.” He told a dispatcher he’d been gone for a short while, then returned to see his door and windows open, TVs on the floor.

Deputies showed up to an apparently ransacked house, but saw no signs of forced entry. A neighbor reported that Yeager was gone from 6:30 to 7:15, went through the front door, opened the front bedroom window and lifted the blinds. Then he stepped outside and waited for deputies. The neighbor said there was no car on the property before Yeager returned.

Yeager admitted the lie to avoid going to work. He was arrested and charged with one count of giving false information to the police, then released later that day on $500 bail.

What a doofus. All he had to do was fabricate a stomach ache from the previous day’s “bad meat” or a migraine headache or something like that. But you didn’t hear it from me.

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

How to Respond in an active Shooter Scenario

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Here’s how to respond if a shooting breaks out.

7HThere’s no such thing as a perfect world in which guns and bullets don’t exist. Would you know what to do in the event of an unexpected shooting situation?

The first thing you should do in a shooting crisis is to remain calm, even though your head might be telling you to fight or escape. However, an attempt at fighting or escaping may not always be possible, regardless, maintain calm to determine what is possible.

Be aware of your surroundings: people nearby, what they’re doing, odd behaviors, unfolding situations. If you spot dissonance (e.g., an escalating argument), look for possible exits or safe spots to get to, rather than get closer to the unfolding train wreck. If someone brandishes a gun, you’ll then immediately know where the fastest exit or barricade is. Always know where the exits are in any room you’re in.

In general, if you’re in a threatening situation, especially if a shooting occurs, 1) run, 2) hide, and 3) fight. And not always in that order.

If you see the exit, run. If you can see the gunman, he can see you; drop any belongings, crouch and bolt away to a safe place, even if you become injured. Then call 9-1-1.

If there’s a quiet, dark room that you can lock yourself into, do so. Bring other people with you if possible, but keep them quiet: no screaming. If the door doesn’t lock, block it with furniture. Stay put until the authorities find you.

If running and hiding aren’t options, you must fight: a very last resort, however. If possible, recruit others to join forces. Use any weapons available (chair, lamp) and fight for your life. If the gunman’s weapon freezes, lunge at him or sprint away. A 120 pound woman can do this; 120 pounds is a lot of weight coming at a full grown man, whether it’s a big rock or a woman.

This boils down to situation awareness and preparedness. Never think that preparing ahead of time for a shooting that probably will never happen is a form of paranoia. It’s simply being proactive.

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

Home Invasion ends in Death

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A man died at the hands of two intruders who invaded his home in Sacramento County recently. The 30-year-old victim had been shot. According to witnesses, two intruders barged into the apartment, then shot the man, but not before stealing some of his belongings.

1BCan something like this be prevented? Most likely, even though we don’t have the details. How were the intruders able to force their way into the apartment in the first place? Did the man open the door, and that’s how they got in? Was the door unlocked, and the intruders simply walked in?

Tips to help prevent a home invasion:

  • Instruct your kids or any children visiting that they are never to answer a knock at the door or the doorbell ringing, even if pizza or some other delivery is expected. Your kids must know that they are forbidden from responding to the door even if you’re momentarily indisposed ( in the shower, on a ladder painting the ceiling, etc.).
  • Have an alarm system installed, and always keep it on, and yes, that means making it a habit to turn it off before you step outside to let the dog out, water the garden, retrieve the mail, take out the trash, etc. Kids, too, must learn this habit, since they are often in and out of a house many times in one day.
  • To make it easier to embrace the idea of keeping the alarm on at all times, realize that often, a burglar or rapist won’t even ring your doorbell or knock. They’ll just make their way in and creep up on you.
  • Install a 24-hour video surveillance system. If a burglar or rapist spots that camera, or even the system’s company’s warning decals, this will be a great deterrent. All doors and entry points should have a camera.
  • If a stranger is at your door, speak to that person with the main door closed, never through just the screen door.

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

Children significantly affected by Burglary

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Here’s why you should never assume that burglary won’t have negative effects on your children.

2BVictim Support, an independent charity, and home security specialist ADT, have new research findings: Children who’ve experienced a home burglary are more likely to have problems at school and sleep difficulties.

Ten percent of the participating parents said their child’s school performance was negatively affected, and one-fourth of parents reported that their child had problems sleeping, post-burglary.

Bedwetting was a problem, according to 10 percent of the parents. One-third reported that their kids’ sense of personal safety was affected.

The investigation also turned up that the psychological impact of burglary can have a long lasting negative effect on children.

So what does this mean for adults, who, as children, experienced a home burglary?

One-third of the participants in the study, whose homes were burglarized when they were kids, believed that this experience was affecting them as adults. Thirty percent slept with the light on; 44 percent preferred to sleep with another person in the home.

Back to the effect that burglary has on children:

Forty percent of parents reported that their kids needed mental support after the crime.

There was a separate survey of 53 young victims of the crime, and the results indicate that the negative effects may be greater than parents realize.

About one-third of these young victims admitted they still have nightmares, and said that the burglary impaired their self-confidence.

Victim Support and ADT have launched The Take No More campaign. The purpose is to change the way people view and respond to burglary. The campaign calls for harsher sentences for criminals who target homes with children.

For the next three years, Victim Support and ADT will be working on this campaign, which will include free crime prevention schemes for members of a household. Also on the roster is increasing awareness of the support services that are available for victims of burglary, and the drive to get justice for victims.

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

Home Invasion prompts Neighbors to invest in Security

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The Lincoln-Highlands Association is a resident organization devoted to fighting crime in Oakland, California’s Dimond District.

2BA hundred residents are needed for the program, which would require $30 a month to fund a security guard to patrol the area five days per week.

Other neighborhoods have had success with private patrols, and the push for the Association’s private guard was spurred by an armed intruder who shot and wounded an elderly woman in her house.

However, not all residents are gung-ho on paying for the patrol. One resident says that keeping ahead of crime is the city’s responsibility, and one security guard isn’t omnipotent. On the other hand, how else can crime be deterred, wonder the supporters. The supporters say they’ve gotten a very warm response to the plan and will continue seeking out more supporters.

Home Alarm Systems: Can Do Everything but Handcuff the Intruder

Security systems these days can do just about everything save for apprehending your home’s brazen intruder. Modern-day systems come with all sorts of features that will either deter break-ins or make break-ins more difficult, plus also keep the homeowner aware of everything that’s going on with their property: inside and out.

Features include wireless cameras that have full web access to them, remote controlled and timed lighting, iPhone and Android apps to control and monitor video surveillance from anywhere, remote controlled thermostats, among others. A web dashboard allows the user to control all aspects of each feature, which includes programming in a reaction to a specified incident.

Despite all these features, it’s easy to program such alarm systems, which yield to the user significant awareness of their home’s internal and external environment.

Guard or no guard, don’t keep putting off getting a modern home security system. No intruder wants to wait for you.

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

Police Want your Home Video Surveillance Footage

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Police in San Jose, California believe that viewing home security footage will help them solve crimes. The proposal for homeowners to voluntarily register their security cameras for a new police department database is the creation of councilman Sam Liccardo. The idea is to view the footage promptly after a crime.

1HLiccardo revealed the proposal following a rash of arsons. Property owners willingly gave their home security videos to the police to help identify the arsonist, who has burned down a dozen buildings.

The new database would be managed by pre-existing city technology employees, making the cost nominal.

Homeowners would simply sign up for the database. Police could then remotely gain access into the cameras’ feeds. However, older models would need to be turned in for their tapes.

The issue of privacy concerns has been reared, even though the plan would be based on voluntary actions—which actually doesn’t make sense, since nobody would be forced or even pressured to give up their home footage.

Retired judge LaDoris Cordell says that the database plan is simply an extension of the evolution of surveillance technology, rather than an intrusion of privacy, a way for residents to be abreast of the happenings in their neighborhood.

San Jose wouldn’t be the first to launch such an initiative. Nearly 600 businesses and residents in Philadelphia have signed up with a similar program, which has led to 200 arrests based on video footage.

Liccardo will be facing a “Big Brother” obstacle as he attempts to get his plan approved, but says that the police will not be sitting around watching live feeds for kicks.

There have been no adverse responses to a similar program with the Los Gatos/Monte Sereno police department, in which 30 property owners have signed up.

Sources:

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?id=9405534

http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/crime-law/san-jose-police-look-new-tactics-solve-crime/nczm5/

http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_24979753/san-jose-police-would-tap-into-residents-private

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

Carbon Monoxide Home Safety

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CO Alarms do save Lives

7HWhat you can’t see or smell can kill you. Many CO deaths could have been prevented with an alarm.

How is CO dangerous?

CO gas robs your blood of oxygen, slowly (at lower levels) or quickly (at high levels), choking off your air supply.

  • A low-level leak can leave you feeling weak, dizzy, nauseated, with a headache and other aches: a flu-like feeling.
  • A higher-level leak will put you to sleep fast and you won’t wake up.
  • CO gas mainly originates from heating equipment, but can also leak from gas stoves, hot water heaters, fireplaces, gas dryers, barbecue grills, lawn mowers, snow blowers, generators inside the garage (the door doesn’t even have to be shut for a leak to be dangerous), and of course, cars.

CO Alarm Management

  • Before buying, make sure the alarm has the approval label of an independent testing company (e.g., Underwriter’s Laboratory).
  • Alarms should be placed on all levels of your house, including basements and attics.
  • Install the alarm within 10 feet of doors to bedrooms.
  • In plug-in models, the battery life may get shortened from a prolonged power outage; you may need to replace it often. When the power is restored, replace it. A power outage will not affect a battery-only alarm.
  • Depending on make and model, get a new alarm every five to seven years.

Don’t put off purchasing CO alarms if your home lacks them. They’re easy to install, small and inconspicuous, yet can save your family’s life. And in many states, it’s the law.

Robert Siciliano home security expert to Schlage discussing home security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover. Disclosures. For Roberts FREE ebook text- SECURE Your@emailaddress -to 411247.

Doggy Door: Easy Burglar Penetration

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Many years back I lived on a peninsula north of Boston in a small ocean view cottage. The band “Talking Heads” apparently lived there years earlier when they were starting out.  There’s a song or two they wrote that references the area. It’s a very cool place. The kind of place people think you can leave the doors unlocked and windows open. It’s famous for “Ipswich Clams” if that rings a bell. I’ve been known to dig a few bushels or pecks.

Anyway regardless of the fact it was off the beaten path and a relative “safe” area I still had a home security alarm system.  I’m not one to take chances. Even though it was “safe” a local kid who develops a drug problem can make a mess of things trying to get his next fix.

While living there I had “Niki”. She was a protective German shepherd Husky mix and probably the sweetest animal that has ever lived and was very very intelligent. Where I lived there was very little auto traffic and she was smart enough to avoid cars so I built her a doggie door to let her come and go.  I’d sometimes get calls when I was at work (her tags had my number) that she had made her way to the beach and was sitting with someone at their lounge chair asking me if they could give her water. She was something else.

One weekend I went away with Niki and came home to a disaster in my house.  Cabinets were opened and stuff pulled out, a small dresser was knocked over there was papers and trash everywhere and then I noticed POOP!

A masked burglar broke in! And pooped! Then I saw paw prints! It was a raccoon! The little bugger spent the weekend at my house and got in through the doggie door. The next night I waited for that burglar, all night, and I caught him. I made a hat. But that’s another story.

The Boston Globe reported a pair of teens were arrested and charged with breaking and entering through a doggie door. Police said the two suspects stole two iPods, prescription pills and $100 cash from the house. The teens were arrested after police arrived at the home following a call from a neighbor.

Obviously a doggie door is easy entry. If you have one you can still have a home security system, but you’d have to turn the motion sensors off if you have a larger dog. Installing security cameras set to alert of an intruder is a good option. Adding outdoor signage would act as another layer of protection.

Niki died 6 years ago. She was 15. She is missed.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist toHome Security Source discussingADT Pulse on Fox News. Disclosures

2010 Saw Dramatic Rise In Home Invasions

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Maybe it’s the economy or maybe people are just getting nuttier, but my news alerts have been pouring in describing horrific home-invasions with many resulting in growing levels of violence.

In some places, there is a correlation between home invasions and organized crime, drugs, prostitution and gambling.

In Calgary, our neighbor to the north, the Calgary Herald reports “The violent home confrontations typically see victims assaulted, threatened and bound with duct tape, plastic zip ties or rope while thieves ransack their homes for cash and valuables.”

It seems that home invasion has become a crime that knows no boundaries.

The pseudo good news is in 2/3rd of the home invasion cases the parties involved (invaded and invaders) were heavily into lowlife activities. So if you are not dealing drugs or involved in gang activity then you’re less susceptible.

However in almost 1/3rd of the cases the victims were people who kept large sums of money in their homes. So if you are a person who stuffs your mattress with cash you are more vulnerable.

If you fit into the category of mattress stuffer:

#1 Put your money in the bank! It makes no sense to have wads of cash around. Even if it’s in a safe, a home invader will force you to open it.

#2 If you insist on having wads of cash around then tell no-one! Home invaders are often deprived people in a position of trust who turn on their victim.

#3 Take some of that money and invest it into a home security system. For about a dollar a day your home can be fully monitored and alarmed.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing Home Invasions on Montel Williams.

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.