February 7, 2011
8 comments
Burglars Do Return to Homes – After the First Time, Get a Home Alarm!
We know that burglars do return to the scene of prior crimes. It worked the first time, and homeowners do tend to replace the stolen items, so why not try again? What’s harder for me to understand is why most homeowners don't get an alarm system after the first time. In my last post on burglars coming back, I described one home hit three times in the same week, and another that was visited by the same burglar – three years later. I’m happy to report that the woman victimized three times did finally install an alarm system! Here’s the recent story from Cape Coral, FL:
Two brothers who burglarized a Cape Coral home were caught when they returned a second time Thursday, according to the Cape Coral Police Department.
The Details
The victim was asleep in his bedroom when he was awakened by a noise inside the house around 3:30 a.m., police said. When he went to investigate, he reportedly spotted 17-year-old Arik Sparks in the living room. The homeowner says he grabbed Sparks and then spotted his brother, 15-year-old Adam Sparks, in the garage. The victim was able to keep the teens inside the home until police arrived, a police report said.
This is a bit unusual, in that most burglaries do happen during the day, when intruders anticipate less risk of a direct confrontation with the homeowners. And while these burglars may appear young, there are plenty of police reports on juvenile perps from across the US.
How They Got in, What They Stole
The brothers reportedly told police they entered the home after noticing its garage door was open. Once inside, they took $320 from the homeowner's wallet, left the house and then returned to wipe away fingerprints they may have left behind, they said. During the second visit, the duo tried stealing a Rolex watch, a bottle of alcohol, clothing and items from the victim's two vehicles, police said.
Once again, it was not that hard to gain entry, and the targeted items were on the short list of what burglars steal. These are both topics I’ve posted on before, and here is another: the Top 10 Home Security Tips that everyone should know by heart.
We hope this gentleman in Coral Beach will avail himself of the home security technology that is available today – even though his “returning burglars” should be off the street for a while. Alarm systems can do a lot more these days – and here’s a great example: with a FrontPoint system, using our popular Interactive level of monitoring, the man’s alarm system could have notified home that the garage door was open for longer than a certain period of time. That’s the kind of best-in-class wireless, interactive home security that makes sense for more and more people. And when you add video services, remote control of the system (including lights, locks, and thermostats), and the safest cellular monitoring you can find, it’s no wonder so many people turn to FrontPoint.