BEATING THE BURGLARY ODDS

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BURGLARS: A FIELD GUIDE

There are several common types of housebreakers that may, at this moment, have your home under consideration. Let me describe some of the more common varieties and a few of their methods of operation.

TRANSIENT BURGLARS

This was my specialty. A thief of this type travels from city to city for the purpose of his (or her) work. He doesn't plan to stay in town for long, a week at most, so he needs to come up with a list of potential targets quickly. He'll probably begin with a map of the area, which he'll narrow down by focusing on subdivisions . . . particularly those with ritzy names and a golf course and community pool.

Once he's selected a likely development, say a Bedford Hills or a Bel Air, he'll visit the neighborhood, writing down names and addresses from mailboxes. A phone book provides the numbers for the targets. When the time is right, he'll simply work through the list, seeing which calls fail to bring an answer. (I've even gone so far as to have an associate phone a house at a set time when I would be at the window counting the rings, a sure-fire way to ascertain that no one was home.) If your neighborhood is hit more than once over a short period, the odds are a transient burglar is working the area.

DAYTIME BURGLARS

These guys have to be pretty nervy. Not only does the daylight housebreaker have to make sure the home is unoccupied, he also has to avoid attracting the attention of neighbors. To do this, he'll employ such ruses as posing as a door-to-door salesman or driving a fake department-store delivery truck. It's frightening, but true, that he will probably know a good bit about you and your habits before breaking in. He'll know how many people are in the household, how many cars there are (and who drives them), and when each person leaves and returns. When he's ready, he'll make a quick call to be sure no one is unexpectedly home, then park his vehicle nearby, or even right in your driveway. He'll often gain entry through the side or back of the house, placing the items he wants near the front door, since that's the least suspicious exit.

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