BEATING THE BURGLARY ODDS

Former thief shares the dirt on the burglary game, including types of thieves, the well-protected home and securing windows.

May/June 1988
 
111-096-01
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ILLUSTRATIONS BY MICHAEL STORRINGS
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FROM A FORMER THIEF:

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Some "inside" tips on home security.

By Charles Young

Imagine yourself returning from a pleasant evening at the movies. You pull into the driveway, happy, as always, to be home, and walk in the front door. Switching on the light, you stare in disbelief. No, this can't be right. The living room is in disarray; the place is a shambles.

Your house has been burglarized. A stranger has invaded your home, sorting through and taking your possessions, and the odds are that the perpetrator won't be caught. Nor is it likely that your property will be recovered.

Unfortunately, the chances of your home being broken into increase every day. Middle-class suburban neighborhoods may be among the most popular targets for burglars, but no home is immune.

I know. As a former burglar, I did my work in all types of neighborhoods across the U.S. One week I'd be in California, the next in Arizona, and then in Florida. It wasn't unusual for me to pull as many as 15 jobs a week, then take the goods into another state and sell them before they had a chance to hit the police "hot sheet," a regularly updated list of stolen merchandise. For quite a while I found burglary an easy way to make a living, simply because the owners of the homes I hit failed to use common sense. They probably didn't really think themselves immune. Instead, I imagine most of them just didn't take the time to consider their vulnerability. After reading this article, I hope you'll invest the thought necessary to safeguard your home. Believe me, the repayment, in terms of both time and heartache spared, can be substantial.

Charles Young, convicted after a crosscountry burglary career spanning two years, will not be eligible for early release until September 1993.

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