Burglar in Springfield, Massachusetts Claims to be ADT Employee When Confronted by Homeowner

Springfield police are looking into whether a man who allegedly claimed to be an inspector for ADT is responsible for a series of break-ins over the weekend. Sgt. John Delaney told 22News that on Sunday night, officers arrested Kenneth Spence, 48, of Springfield, after he allegedly tried to break into a house on Ambrose Street.

What Exactly Happened

According to Delaney, police received a call from a homeowner claiming that a man had tried to force open the home’s rear door. When the victim asked what was going on, the man said that he was from ADT and that he needed to come inside and check their security system. The intruder had a clipboard with ADT written on it, but did not have an ID on him. The man ran out to his car after the victim announced that the police were being called.

Police Nab the Suspect

Police, who had been patrolling the neighborhood following recent break-ins, spotted a car about an hour later on Boston Road that matched the description provided by the victim. Inside the car, Delaney says officers found an ADT clipboard and a company ID. Police brought Spence, the car’s driver, back to the victim’s house, where he was identified by the homeowner as the man who tried to break in. Delaney says that police then contacted ADT, which confirmed that Spence had never been one of their employees.

Responsible for More Burglaries?

Delaney says that they are now looking into whether Spence is responsible for other burglaries over the weekend, in the Pine Point and Liberty Heights neighborhoods. Residents are advised that ADT does not conduct random inspections of security systems, and will only come to your house if you call them. Delaney says that if you did not request that they be there, you should not let anyone in your house who claims to be from a home security company.

Not That Strange, Actually

The fact is that burglars are getting more brazen, and in some cases more creative all the time. There are increased reports from across the US of burglars posing as alarm company employees, utility workers, and even city inspectors to gain access to homes. Unwary homeowners often let them in. Unfortunately, this type of scam is just one more sign of the times we live in.

Of course, if you’re a burglar pretending to work for an alarm company, you may as well pick the biggest one – ADT. Recently spun off from parent Tyco into an independent public company, ADT is the largest provider of security services in the North America, but is considered by many to be a notable example of the concept that bigger does not always mean better. Review sites have it made it much easier for disgruntled subscribers to share their experiences, which can be painful for the companies that disappoint with poor service.

Exercise Caution when Opening Your Home to Strangers

With increasing numbers of home intrusions being drug-related, it’s hard to predict how some of these burglars will behave, and many of them are armed. And you may even want to think twice about the “real” door knocking sales people from those aggressive alarm companies that won’t take “No!” for an answer: a number of those companies have been fined and sued by numerous states for fraudulent and deceptive sales practices. As sad as it may sound, home security experts and law enforcement professionals agree that you have to be more careful than ever when opening your door to strangers – any strangers.

The good news about FrontPoint is that we’ll never send anyone to your home. We’re the largest (and most highly regarded) DIY alarm company in the US, meaning you get to set up your fully programmed and wireless FrontPoint system yourself, on your schedule, with no FrontPoint technician – or salesperson – ever in your home.

Once you start shopping online for home security and automation services, you’ll quickly learn why FrontPoint is the leader in interactive, wireless home security: our long list of five-star reviews spells out very clearly what makes us the #1 ranked alarm company in the US.  Being on top means we have to prove ourselves in every aspect of our business – with systems that are safer, smarter, simpler, more affordable, and virtually impossible to defeat. These days, that makes us rare indeed among nationwide alarm service providers. And no worries about who is at your door!