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1. Somebody going from house to house, this is particularly suspicious if, once a few homes have been visited, one or more of the people go into a back or side yard. It is even more suspicious if another remains in the front when this occurs. It may be that they are looking for a house to burglarize, or there could be a burglary in progress.
2. If somebody is waiting around in front of a home this becomes very suspicious if you know the homeowners are away. The individual you can see may be a lookout for a burglary that is in progress inside.
3. Everyone seen forcing an entry into a home. This is clearly suspicious at anytime and in any circumstances immediately dial 911 or 999 if in the U.K.
4. If you see anybody who does not live in the home, going into the yard, it is possible that a burglary is being committed.
5. Someone running away particularly if something valuable is being carried, they may be leaving the scene of a crime.
6. If you see somebody showing strange mental or physical symptoms, they may be injured or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
7. Anybody moving property may be considered suspicious in some circumstances. Perhaps if it is late at night or if the item is not wrapped, it is possible that the article has been stolen.
8. A large number of comings and goings from a particular house, this may not be suspicious, unless it occurs on a daily or very regular basis, especially during late or unusual hours when it could signify vice or drug related activities.
With all of the above situations you must use your common sense, in the majority of situations there is a perfectly innocent explanation for what you see but if you are not certain dial 911 or 999 in the U.K. and let the police investigate.
Welcome back to part 7, if you have implemented the recommendations we have made so far you will have gone a long way toward protecting your home. Nobody can promise that you will not fall victim to a thief, so in this article I want to give you a few tips on how you can help the police retrieve your goods if it should be stolen.
Make an inventory of your property.
Keep a list of your processions in a secure place, perhaps in a safe deposit box or with a friend, this will help the police if you do have a burglary, and it will also help to support a claim if you have a house fire or some other kind of loss.
The better the job you do on the property inventory the more help it will be. Now that digital cameras are readily available take pictures of all the rooms in your home and their contents. In case of a loss by fire or flood etc. it will help you in your claim with your insurance provider.
On your property list, show, which room the goods, were in. Describe the article as fully as feasible; include the manufacturer model number, size, color, and the material the article is made of as well as its price. It is also a good idea to include damage marks, repairs, etc because these are unique to your things.
Mark your goods with your Post Code, your Drivers License Number or some other number that is exclusive to you but do not use your Social Security number! Properly marked property is hard for a burglar to sell on to someone else, and it makes it easier to trace them back to you.
Always mark your assets by engraving in an area that cannot be simply removed and is not in plain sight, if you cannot engrave the thing use a permanent marker or an ultra violet pen. Some items are not suitable for marking and this is where a digital or video camera comes into its own.
Now that you have a catalogue of your property make certain you keep it up to date!
Having marked your property make sure that any possible burglar knows about it, a small sticker displayed on doors and windows will do the job. These are generally available from your local police station or crime prevention officer.
Burglary is the most frequent form of theft in the United States; by marking your property you are taking an important step in protecting your home and avoiding the distress that this type of home invasion causes.
In the next part of this series I will be giving you a few dos and don'ts to help you with your personal and home security, see you soon.