Audience: This paper is written so as a wide variety of people could understand it and make use of it, as it contains useful information on solution to a problem that can be found almost everywhere. In particular, it can be perfectly applied in my neighborhood, which is Metairie, Louisiana. People of different age, education and background can understand it, as it is specially written in the simple and easy-to-understand language with examples and explanations.
Life does not stand still, and crime, unfortunately too. Burglary has been an important problem in my neighborhood, as well as in many other ones. People invent new ways of their homes protection, but criminals tend to find new and new ways of braking into houses and taking their property. This paper is dedicated to the problem of burglary and in particular the possible ways of this problem solution. In fact, by performing simple rules and following them, it is possible to decrease the possibility of breaking into house almost to 0.
First, it is necessary to understand what kinds of burglaries are the most widespread. The first is robbery when owners are not at home. Such robberies occur most often. Criminals steal everything they can find and carry out - money, jewelry, home appliances, clothes, documents, and objects of value (tools, antiques). People who have become the victim of a robbery, are shocked when they come into the apartment, where everything is turned upside down, and all the valuables are stolen. All that is acquired over many years, in a moment was lost or spoiled. After this, there is always a feeling of resentment and humiliation. But all of this could have been avoided if previously taken appropriate measures.
Another popular kind is robbery, when the owners are in the house. For the owners of the home it is the most dangerous situation. In this case, their life is threatened (Badiora, Oluwadare and Dada 420). The consequences can be very sad. There are cases when the hosts managed to fight off robbers and protect their house. But more often it causes harm to varying degrees. In such case it is great if the person is healthy. But the psychological trauma of the incident may remain for a lifetime. So how to prevent the robbery?
The best protection against burglary is considered to be a set of measures: good steel door, grating or shutters on the windows, alarm system and video surveillance system with connection to the control of private security. However, not everyone can afford this level of security, although it is necessary to aspire to it. There are time-tested ways to prevent burglaries - some rules, by observing which people can provide at least some security in their homes.
The first step would be to install a steel door with normal locks - it's like they say half the success of our business. Further - it is desirable that there was intercom at the entrance - this will limit access to the porch of all comers. It is also a great idea to hold a meeting of the neighborhood and ask them to not open the doors to strangers. If in the intercom rang strangers – it is necessary to always look out into the yard, and only then open the door (Amodio 67). So, intercom and a steel door with normal locks - this is a guarantee of a decent quiet life.
For those who live in private houses or at the first floors of multi-stored building, it is always necessary to close the windows when they leave the house, because burglars can find a way to get into the house even through a small hole. But it is better to put the protective shutters or just bars on the windows, as in this way it will be possible to protect the house from minor thieves, drug addicts and alcoholics who can get into the house even when the owners are sleeping peacefully in it. Often installing bars on the windows is important for the residents of the second and last floor, because thieves use roofs and porches in order to get to the balcony, and to the flat.
In some houses it is possible to install a metal tambour door to several apartments. The price of such doors is relatively low considering the fact that it can be financed by dividing the sum for 3-4 flats. If someone is against it, then it is better to pay for such a "negligent" member and just give him the keys. When installing such doors, it is necessary to move the doorbells. It is also possible to optionally equip the doors with audio and video intercom, as well as an electromagnetic lock, which can be opened directly from the apartments, and it will not be necessary for the owners to go through the vestibule (which can be quite long) in order to unlock the door.
Another great opportunity to defend a house from burglaries is to establish good relations with the neighbors (Dannatt 21). When some house owners go on vacation or on a long trip – they can give keys to neighbors and ask them to watch over their apartment - listen to the strange sounds on the territory, timely change the bulbs, pull out the mail from the mailbox, because a full box is a sure signal that the owners are for a long time not at home.
It is a good idea to ask them once a day to open and close the door to the apartment or come to the house. It is necessary to remove the "traps" which can silently put a thief. "Trap" can be a match, wedged between the door frame and the canvas, a piece of cookie under the rug. Thief sets "traps" in the door, such a match, and if he does not find it after a while - it means that someone attends the apartment or house. If such relations exist between neighbors, it makes burglary much more difficult for the criminals.
Most importantly, if people are going to leave, even for a few days – it is necessary for them not to tell it to anyone around except a trusted neighbor. The friends in the yard, or even on the porch may be people not entirely trustworthy. They may blurt out that house owners have left a long time and thus lead criminals to the empty apartment. Casual acquaintances should not be allowed into the apartment. Be sure that it will be viewed from all angles. All issues are resolved in the hallway.
It is also necessary not to forget to change the locks immediately if a person loses keys or entrusted keys to workers who carried out repairs in an apartment - especially now - it's easy enough to do. When replacing the lock lever, at the same time it is desirable to protect the armor plate that covers it from the primitive drill support column. It is important not to use locks of old design - now any schoolboy can open them. Check the condition of the machinery thus: open doors and pull out all the deadbolts locks, then grab the crossbars and check how much they backlash. Big backlash should not be - otherwise the locks should be replaced. Ordinary doors and locks issued in the last century have a lifespan of an average of no more than 7 years, after that period they must serve either by replacing the worn parts, or should be replaced with new, otherwise, once, slamming the door behind - you can open it only by calling 911.
Works Cited
Amodio, Francesco. Crime protection investment spillovers: theory and evidence from the City of Buenos Aires. mimeo, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, 2013.
Badiora, Adewumi Israel, Deborah Bunmi Oluwadare, and Olanrewaju Timothy Dada. "Nature of Residential Burglary and Prevention by Design Approaches in a Nigerian Traditional Urban Center." Journal of Applied Security Research 9.4 (2014): 418-436.
Dannatt, Harley. "Living on a knife's edge: Public housing insecurity in the Northern Territory." Parity 27.4 (2014): 20-22.
