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Systems Starting at $69 + 50% Off Equipment
Systems Starting at $69 + 50% Off Equipment
Systems Starting at $69 + 50% Off Equipment
As the incidence of home intrusion rises across the US, I’m seeing more reports of residential crime in locales that have been relatively free from burglaries up until now. Sometimes these previously “safe havens” are in rural areas, which we now understand are no longer immune to break-ins. A recent article from Kootenai County, Idaho proves the point.
Jim Smith returned to his Post Falls home late one night last week to find his side door ajar. In the bedroom, he found jewelry scattered on the floor and several Black Hills gold rings missing. He and his late wife, who died 10 years ago from cancer, had collected them together over several years. “You feel like you’re violated,” the 78-year-old retiree said. “Someone was messing with my stuff. It changes your life because now I have to look at everybody and say, ‘Are you the one that was watching the house, that kicked in the door?’ ”
Not One, but Dozens of Burglaries
Smith is one of dozens of Kootenai County residents whose homes have been burglarized following a similar pattern in recent weeks. In the past two months, the county sheriff’s department has received 91 reports of home burglaries, compared with 21 during the same period last year. That’s more than a 300 percent increase.
More than 300%? That’s huge. I’ve read of some hefty increases, often in excess of 100%, but this constitutes a true crime wave in an idyllic Heartland community.
How Burglars Operate
Kootenai County Sheriff’s spokesman Maj. Ben Wolfinger said the thieves are attacking in broad daylight when no one’s home. Deputies have received reports of people checking out residences by knocking on doors and saying they’re selling firewood or offering a dog-walking service. Wolfinger said the homes that have been targeted are blocked from the view of neighbors, perhaps by a long driveway or trees or shrubs. The burglars are kicking down doors, taking cash, jewelry or other easy-to-carry items, and leaving.
What’s Behind the Kootenai Crime Spike?
Wolfinger said the best defense for residents is awareness. People should get to know their neighbors and look out for each other. Alarm systems are helpful, as are dogs that have access to the doors, he said. While deputies have not determined a motive for the crime, Wolfinger said two likely suspects are the poor economy and illegal drugs. “We expected some increases in theft and burglaries as the unemployment has drug on,” Wolfinger said. “That’s certainly an issue. It’s hard to say. Historically, where you’ve got a burglar, you’ve got a drug user. So we don’t know if there’s a new influx of addicts in the area.”
What You Can Do to Protect Your Home and Family
Smith’s home is on a busy corner in Post Falls, but his side door is obscured from view. He believes the door was kicked in at the door knob. He replaced the door and plans to install an alarm system, he said.
That’s a great idea. As a reminder, here are three of the favorite FrontPoint blog posts, designed to help you get up to speed as you consider how to increase your peace of mind:
Top 10 Home Security Tips
Where Burglars Break In
What Burglars Steal
Of course, the best deterrent is a monitored home alarm system – especially one with safer cellular monitoring and smarter interactive features. As the leader in wireless home security, FrontPoint specializes in the best protection: that’s why we’re the #1 ranked alarm company in the US. Safer, smarter, simpler, more affordable, and virtually impossible to defeat: from California to Texas to Florida to Kootenai County, Idaho, in thousands of cities and towns all across the US and Canada, FrontPoint is on the job.